(Ecns.cn) -- The Chinese are probably a people that highly values their once-in-a-lifetime weddings.
During the October peak of weddings, Shanxi News conducted a survey among newlyweds, restaurants, and wedding service agencies, on the average costs of each wedding under the impact of constantly hiking prices and improving living standards.
Old weddings of simplicity
Dating back to the 1970s, most couples created a family without extravagant ceremonies – no wedding dress, apartment, car, jewelry, or honeymoon.
Zhang Jianshe, a local resident, recalled when he got married. He just cleaned up his single room given to him by his office, crafted some large furniture including the wardrobe, and invited some friends over for dinner.
Later during late 1970s, a "decent wedding" had three components: a watch, a bicycle, and a sewing machine. Zhang made it up to his wife with a "fashionable" travel to Beijing.
In the 1980s, when home appliances started to become popular, the three main objects were changed into a refrigerator, television, and washing machine, said Hu Guangyao, who married in 1984.
At that time, all three appliances were either imported or had to be ordered from manufacturers, and this standard was already considered an extravagance.
An extraordinary wedding
Not only the rest of the world, but Chinese themselves have been deeply impressed by their thirty years of significant changes.
In 1995, Xu, a manager of a wedding service agency, spent no more than 30,000 yuan on his wedding.
In the new century when those born in the 1980s have stepped into the age of forming new families, their requirements have more than doubled.
Most of them hold the view that the only wedding of their life must be a very special one.
With this large group of consumers, a complete wedding industry has come into being and it's well fed, from wedding photography to marriage gifts, to banquets, to honeymoon travels.
In 2000, when Liu initiated his wedding service business, the betrothal gifts from the bridegroom to the bride's family, has climbed up to 10-20 thousand yuan.
