(VOVWORLD) - A simplified wedding or a "three, four or even five Nos” wedding has recently become a trend chosen by many Chinese young people. This is also a hot topic for discussion on social networks.
 Bridegroom Huang Tao and bride Wei Ya Qiao are their own wedding MC. (Photo: CNR) |
Recently, a couple from China’s eastern province of Zhejiang organized a minimalist wedding that cost just 5,000 yuan (about 705 USD). It was praised by relatives and friends and has gained much support on Chinese social media.
A minimalist wedding or a “three, four or even five Nos” wedding means downsizing lavish arrangements. There is no “fetching the bride” ceremony, no bridesmaids or groomsmen, no fancy wedding cars, wedding gowns, make-up artists, photographers, and so on.
Bridegroom Huang Tao and bride Wei Ya Qiao chose such a wedding. They were their own wedding MC.
According to Wei Ya Qiao, because she and her husband both prefer a simple lifestyle, they decided to have a simplified wedding.
But at first, the couple did not have the approval of their parents, who considered a wedding to be a major affair for both families.
Wei said their persistence finally convinced the parents to put aside their preconceptions and see that young people have a different way of thinking.
“All the relatives and friends who came to our wedding praised our approach and said we were brave and lucky to get the support of our parents,” said Wei.
Many netizens supported the two young people’s minimalist wedding, saying that such a wedding significantly reduces the financial burden and psychological pressure on a young couple.
Ms. Wang, a resident of Zhengzhou city in Henan province, told her case, “I just got married, too. It was a lot of work. I think if some of the traditions are dispensed with, everything can be simpler and better.”
According to Pei Yu Xin, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Zhong Shan University,
“A minimalist wedding drastically pares down the traditional wedding rituals and allows young people to use their creativity to design a more personalized and distinctive wedding and reduce the amount of wasted time and money.”
Qing Duo, a former correspondent for China Radio International who is now a blogger, affirmed that traditional wedding customs vary from place to place and many conceptual conflicts concerning weddings are unnecessary.
“We all know that wedding ceremonies can be very complicated, and the more factors that are mixed in, the more complex things become. As a wedding is a happy occasion, we shouldn’t have to deal with so many difficulties,” said Duo, adding, “That’s why I strongly support wedding reform like this. It’s important to make it feel real and pure. And from a practical perspective, simple weddings are also more economical.”
The trend of simplified weddings is not new, especially in big cities, said Duo, but it is now becoming more popular nationwide.
Many localities in China are calling for improving wedding customs, ditching outdated patriarchal beliefs, and discarding bride prices and dowries which make marriage difficult for young people.
 Both Qing Duo and her mom, WangWen, support minimalist, innovative weddings. (Photo credit: Qing Duo) |
Duo’s mom, WangWen, now 63 years old, said she fully supports the new approach, because it’s more important for a wedding to be happy than fancy.
She said she completely understands the reason young people don't like weddings. “It's just a formality and costs a lot of money which could be better used to take a trip or do something they like. So I support simplified weddings,” said Ms WangWen.
Things have changed in the new era. As the economy develops, people are less concerned about formal things and pay more attention to their own feelings, according to Ms. WangWen.
The latest survey on marriage and love, published by a marriage platform in China, found that nearly 80% of young respondents support minimalist weddings and over 60% think the popularity of such weddings reflects the younger generation’s pursuit of individuality and freedom.
Duo, now 31 years old, said more and more Chinese youths prefer simple weddings, adding, “Young people think spending a lot of money on a wedding is not necessary or valuable. They would rather pay attention to their own feelings. This is a common idea among the younger generation.”
Duo said young Chinese are becoming more practical about spending money and are moving toward a smaller scale but still beautiful wedding. They don’t want to put pressure on themselves and their parents.