One of the most difficult decisions for a bride ahead of her wedding is the choosing of bridesmaids. But for Chinese couples who struggle with this dilemma, a new service has emerged: renting them. Huihui, a 22-year-old entrepreneur from Shandong province in eastern China, has joined the burgeoning bridesmaid-for-hire industry and turned it into a career for herself. According to Shandong Business News , the young woman has not only been a bridesmaid for over a dozen weddings , but she has also opened a leasing studio in her city Jinan. She said more than 1,000 women across the country had registered their interest in becoming ad hoc bridesmaids , the report said, with most of them using it to make some extra cash to supplement their salary. “Why is there a demand for renting a bridesmaid ? I think the main reason is that people live a lonely life in modern society. Classmates often do not contact each other after graduation, and it can be challenging to make friends with colleagues,” Huihui said. The cost of hiring a bridesmaid ranges from 400 yuan (US$63) to 1,000 yuan (US$157) per day, depending on the city. Huihui said it could be a challenge to find someone willing to wake up early in the morning and dedicate an entire day to a wedding of a couple they do not even know. The entrepreneur said young women hoping to be a rented bridesmaid need to fill in a questionnaire listing their age, height, weight, the Chinese zodiac sign for their birth year, personality traits and talents if any. Huihui said: “Professional bridesmaids should not be too pretty and not be taller than 1.8m. Some clients also want a bridesmaid with at least a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “We will provide candidates according to the clients’ requirements.” Some brides want their bridesmaids to have round faces or speak the same dialect. “Professional bridesmaids should not be too beautiful, so that the bride will not be concerned that the bridesmaid will steal the spotlight. However, the rented bridesmaids cannot be too ugly either because the bride might think it will make her lose face.” Huihui also said most brides would not tell their family or the wedding party that the bridesmaids are getting paid to attend. “A professional bridesmaid will also keep this secret and play the role of the bride’s close friend,” she said. A report on the news portal legaldaily.com.cn said rented bridesmaids often need to fabricate stories to tell guests about their “friendship” with the bride. Professional bridesmaids should not be too beautiful Huihui, an entrepreneur who runs a rent-a-bridesmaid business But it’s a two-way street, as rented bridesmaids also have standards for potential clients to abide by. Some will not accept wedding pranks, a controversial tradition when the grooms and brides are teased at Chinese weddings, with bridesmaids often roped into the jokes. Others decline orders that require travel. A woman surnamed Yang, who has served as a professional bridesmaid in Shanghai, told legaldaily.com.cn: “Although there is a saying that the more times you have been a bridesmaid, the less chance you will get married, I do not believe that.”