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Posts: 254

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Q: How much did your wedding cost in China?

How much did your wedding cost in China? I am interested in normal ones not the ones that are not too fancy.

9 years 16 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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What is a normal wedding?? Everyone has a different idea of normal. Ive seen people spend 10K for very simple wedding. I spent 350K and ive seen people spend much more than me.

Depending how many people you need to invite maybe preparing 100K should be enough?

dongbeiren:

You spent 350k!? On a one day event? How many people attended? I'd love a breakdown (cars, how many tables, how much did you spend per person that attended etc.) 

9 years 16 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

Well it wasnt technically in China. And it was a 3 night 4 day event. Flew my immediate family from Canada to Thailand Flew 40 guests from China to Thailand. 5 star hotel for 3 nights for the Chinese guests Same hotel for my family for 10 nights as well as a villa for me and my woman. Wedding package Transportation and entrance tickets for guests ect. Wedding dinner and 2 bars. One for a cocktail party before the ceremony and another open bar during the reception. Rings, tux, dress , photographer, decorations. It all added up to a crazy number. Too be honest though it was well worth it. Ive been to some expensive chinese weddings and they feel empty. Some crappy MC screaming into a mic and people not paying any attention because there is food on the table. Me and the wife both sacrificed alot that year to make it happen but i think we would both do it again. Which is why i get to pick up my new car this week! She got dream wedding, its my turn now haha.

9 years 16 weeks ago
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dongbeiren:

Ah I see. I was thinking you spent that cash on a bunch of Bentley's to drive you around the city to drink 5,000 kuai bottles of baijiu.... in which case I'd say thats fckin stupid but sounds like quite the wedding. Thailand must've been a great place to tie the knot. 

9 years 16 weeks ago
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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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About 400 RMB for the marriage license.

 

And like 5000-6000 RMB for all the bullshit we had to go through to get the marriage license.

 

No wedding ceremony... yet.

ScotsAlan:

That must be the American license Hulk ? The UK one was about 270RMB, then I think 800 RMB to convert it into Chinese at the UK Consulate. The Chinese wedding itself was only 9 RMB + the cost of photocopying the documents. I heard a divorce only cost 9RMB too....if its amicable...

9 years 16 weeks ago
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Hulk:

Translation, trips to Guangzhou, hotel rooms, being scammed by government officials in Zhangjiajie who want to get extra money for themselves, etc.

9 years 16 weeks ago
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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Not sure, but in order to keep costs down, and to be decked out in the most fancy and attractive bridal wear at the same time, I'd advise you to check out that certain bridals website.

The Sammy-Sosa dress is popular cause it hits a home run with the guys every time it is worn. Has anybody tried it yet?

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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It's really up to you, it can be 10K or 1000K. Wedding costumes was cheap, we went for something simple. The main expense was the ceremony itself, about 10K, and it was really simple too. The pictures were about 6K, we had an amazing location but the studio butchered the job. Administrative red-tape was cheap.

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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..

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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the marriage cost zero, I think..... couple hundred maybe...the reception, I donated 8888RMB ... lucky 8's to.  about 50 of us......  a splendid occasion. ..  dinner and toasts... the KTV afterwards was more fun.....  5 years later and never had that much fun at a KTV since. I think my "sadly deceased" father in law used that giant gold bar I gave him for his daughter, to fund rest of the extravagances ..hahahhhahahaa

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Weddings make money, sort of. Traditional Chinese will keep a checks and balance of gifts received during weddings, birth parties and so on. It's basically a rather loose loan you get in a time of relative need, which you repay (plus interest) when others have their times of need.

The problem is, the gifts are usually given to the wife's parents, and depending on your relationship with them, that money can be considered part of the family assets, or out of reach for you. It all depends on the relationship with your in-laws. Mine used the profits of the wedding to finance a mortgage, because a baby was on the way. Other in-laws may feel that the money is their reward for raising their daughter, whom they lose in the transaction.

If your relationship with your in-laws is utterly abysmal (and don't write off a relationship too easily), then investing more in a wedding doesn't serve you at all. However, if you get a sense of family and cooperation from them, them it's better to defer to their judgement.

They will know how many people are worth inviting, how big and lavish the party should be (it increases gifts) and how much it will have to cost. Just keep in mind that these 'loans' are a serious cultural aspect. You WILL be expected to cough up cash if a relative is in dire need. An aunt who gave you 5k will expect something over 5k to be returned immediately if she, let's say, needs to go to hospital to be treated for cancer.

Anything that isn't money is considered affection, though expensive things are also weighed in terms of what you owe people.

mike695ca:

Although i dont doubt the truthfulness of that even 1%. Its still sad. From my experience people arent like that at all. Maybe in the south where people are much better situated and would never need to borrow money for say a medical procedure, they tend to give gifts as just that. Gifts. Also, maybe its another North/South cultural gap, but the only time the parents would ever touch the hongbao here is if the parents actually paid for the wedding, and even then they might lose face taking the hongbao from their kids. As far as the transaction for losing the daughter they raised , i personally, have never heard that happening from hongbao. I thought it was settled before the wedding. And that also seems to be dying out as it is. Daughters dont want to be bought.

9 years 16 weeks ago
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coineineagh:

Yes it's sad. I'm in southwestern Sichuan, and the people here are considered a bit more laid back, but they are still Han culture group, while you live among Cantonese I believe. But from my experiences with Cantonese in Chinatowns, they don't seem any more reasonable or civilized. Anyway, although this is the way people choose to do things here, they still appreciate each other. The wedding party is hardly fun; it's a big traditional Face moment for everybody, so they leave after the meal quickly. But people show more affection during informal visits. I can't be too critical about the gifts system either: It has helped my family out a lot, because I first came to China divorced and almost broke. We have a good life partly due to the willingness of relatives to give gifts/loans. And yes, parents don't lose their daughters anymore, so that leads to people trying to 'game' the tradition system, getting gifts for marrying off their daughter, letting the husband's parents worry about the house and car, and still being supported by their daughter when they are elderly. My wife was mildly disappointed both times when the echo showed we had a son, but not overly so; sons are still great after all. And our sons are the best!

9 years 16 weeks ago
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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Get married in a registry type fashion.  Then spend the night in a hotel before flying off to an island somewhere the next day.

Whilst on the island take some flash pics of the two of you being happy and then frame them for gifts to the in-laws when you get home.

And that's it.  The expenditure will be your island holiday.

Chinese weddings are just a scam.  Soul destroying if you ask me.

I mean it........DO NOT HAVE A CHINESE WEDDING!

 

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Unaccountable, I'll still be paying for it until departure time arrives, add freedom to that as well.

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Ahha nice questions.....Marriage damn sucks the bank account in china. Specially, if you are getting marry in North of china. It costed me around 380K. One thing I wanted, that was not to accept the cash from guests. But at that time Chinese 5000 years old culture Came alive And  My wife said I'll take its tradition here and because of that now the big part of my earnings are just going in birthdays and weddings. Specially f*****en 100 days birthday. Which really doesn't make any sense to me.

royceH:

Boycott these scams.  If your wife has any critical thinking skills she will support this boycott.

 

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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10 yuan and she was worth every penny.

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9 years 16 weeks ago
 
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