Extremely speedy, simple wedding: Chinese couple absent from banquet, send pictures instead as parents make 20-second speech to guests at awkward ceremony
- A couple who did not attend their wedding celebration have set tongues wagging on mainland social media after a video of the strange ‘embarrassing’ event went viral
- The only appearance they made was when photos of them in wedding clothes appeared on a large screen in the banquet hall filled with guests
A wedding in China has raised eyebrows on mainland social media after the bride and groom were both absent from their own marriage celebration.
At the wedding in mid-April in central China’s Henan province, the bride’s parents gave a 20-second speech to guests seated at dozens of tables in a large banquet hall; however, the married couple were nowhere in sight, Star Video reported.
The only indication the couple had tied the knot was when their pre-wedding photos were shown on a big screen above a stage.
“I am attending a new form of wedding now,” said a guest, surnamed Tian, who took the video.
“The bride’s parents addressed us for only about 20 seconds, telling us to eat and drink well. Then we began to eat,” said Tian.
Tian said the bride, who works in Beijing, did not return to her hometown for her wedding banquet after a recent work promotion but said she was not bothered by the couple’s absence.
“My father found an uncle to drink wine with him, my mother found an aunt to gossip with, and I enjoyed eating the food at the banquet. We were all happy and enjoyed ourselves,” Tian said.
“This wedding is simple and appropriate for everyone. Every young person hopes their wedding could be held like this,” she added.
Many mainland social media users were fascinated by the unorthodox wedding ceremony.
“It is impersonal and embarrassing!” one person commented.
“The bride and bridegroom have not received good wishes from the guests. What the family cares about seems only to be harvesting money from their guests,” a second person said.
Another online observer said: “I am wondering if the bride will later feel sorry for not appearing at her own wedding.”
But some commenters had a different opinion.
“It’s not so bad. The bride, bridegroom and their parents carefully arrange the wedding ceremony. The family generally appreciates it, but the guests are only interested in what delicious food they can eat at the banquet,” one person said.
In recent years, many couples in mainland China have chosen to hold Chinese-style wedding ceremonies by following ancient marriage rituals recorded in Chinese literature while wearing Hanfu, traditional Han clothing, during the ceremony.
Some prefer to shun a typical wedding with hundreds of guests, opting instead for a ceremony on grassland, in a forest or beside a lake with a few select relatives and friends attending.
