A ₹9.94 lakh wedding with no cars, no videographer and no bridesmaids: China couple’s unusual choice goes viral for this reason

A couple in eastern China have gone viral after ditching several traditional wedding rituals and spending their entire 70,000 yuan (around ₹9.94 lakh) wedding budget on lavish food and cash gifts for guests, South China Morning Post reported.

The bride, surnamed Zhu, is from Ningbo in Zhejiang province, while the groom, Wang, is from Taizhou, also in Zhejiang. Both are in their early 30s and held wedding celebrations in their respective hometowns in September, according to the Ningbo Evening News.

The couple called their wedding a “four no’s” wedding. They skipped picking up the bride from her home, a fleet of luxury wedding cars, a hired master of ceremonies and a videographer.

Zhu and Wang also did not have groomsmen or bridesmaids. This meant there was no wedding hazing, a custom in which groomsmen play pranks on the newlyweds and bridal party.

More money for food and guests

While the couple cut out several traditional wedding expenses, they did not compromise on the banquet.

In Zhu’s hometown of Ningbo, they invited hundreds of guests to a banquet with 45 tables. They spent 70,000 yuan (around ₹9.94 lakh) on expensive seafood and other lavish dishes.

In China, it is common to give guests cigarettes as wedding favours. Zhu instead gave guests red envelopes containing 200 to 300 yuan each (around ₹2,840 to ₹4,260), saying she thought few of her guests smoked.

The couple also kept speeches short. Zhu’s father spoke for just 41 seconds, thanking the guests for attending and saying he hoped they enjoyed the meal.

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Zhu said she and her husband were both introverts who disliked bustling scenes and did not want to inconvenience their relatives or friends.

“I have attended some large weddings before. I found that the newlyweds, their parents and their guests were all tired. So I hoped to simplify my wedding,” she was quoted as saying.

“If our parents became ill from the stress of organising our wedding, it would not be worthwhile,” Zhu added.

Their parents initially did not accept the idea but later came around, Zhu said.

She also said there was no need to film the wedding because “no one would watch the video after the wedding”.

The couple did, however, have wedding photos taken. They travelled to Yulong Snow Mountain, a popular tourist destination in Yunnan province, southwestern China, for the photos.

“It is meaningful to me because the photos were taken at a place I like,” Zhu said.

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Guests praise the banquet

Lu, Zhu’s aunt, said she was surprised by the absence of traditional wedding rituals but was pleased with the celebration.

“But the banquet was wonderful. The food was the most delicious I have ever had,” Lu told the media cheerfully.

The couple’s simplified wedding went viral after major domestic media outlets shared the story.

Many people supported their decision. One commenter said: “It is a good idea. After all, at many weddings, the newlyweds seem to be acting in front of their guests.”

Others disagreed.

“The wedding lacked the proper celebrations. They will regret not taking their big day seriously,” one person commented.