Civil wedding ceremonies go on everyday in Beijing. Spring and summer are the most popular time of year for weddings.
Today at the invitation of one of my former university classmates – Mr. Jiang, I take part in his son’s marriage ceremony held in the Golden Hall at the Building C of Beijing Hotel.
His son’s civil ceremony is no exception considering the fact that over 350 participants are present for the reception, not an easy task for coordination.
The guests are assembling in the lobby and signing at the registration desk with beautiful background music played. While registering, guests would presents theirs red envelopes ( with money inside) or gifts to the bride and the groom.
4 girls play string instruments welcoming the guests in the lobby leading up to the entrance to the Golden Hall, the venue for the wedding reception.
The Golden Hall at Beijing Hotel is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies in Beijing. The hall can hold as many as 500 people with a mixed decor style of tradition and modernity.
In the middle of the hall is the long love corridor adorned with flowers and crystal pendants. The groom will walk through the corridor and greet his bride at the other end and walk her back to the platform.
Each table is decorated with a flower stand and piled with drinks, wines, appetizers and cold dishes.
Here come the three pairs of bridesmaids and best men arm in arm walking to the plantform through the love corridor.
Here come the three pairs of bridesmaids and best men arm in arm walking to the planform through the love corridor.
An officiant is presiding over the ceremony from the beginning to the end.
The groom is walking through the love corridor blowing his saxophone from the platform to the other end of the flowers adorned corridor to meet her bride.
Arm in arm, the bride and the groom are embarking on their love passage – the flower decorated long corridor.
The bride and the groom are happily walking through the love corridor arm in arm.
Both parents of the bride and groom are smiling from the bottom of their hearts.
The groom’s father, Mr. Jiang is making a short speech in the ceremony and hands down their family’s Instructions: if the family lives in harmony, all affairs will prosper.
About 350 guests are attending the wedding reception.
The projection screen is putting on a VCR about the bride and groom’s love story.
Caterers are busy serving the guests in the course of the civil ceremony.
The bride and the groom are coming to each table to make a toast.
The bride and the groom is coming to each table to make a toast.
For me, the wedding ceremony is more a networking occasion than a civil wedding reception.
This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2018 at 5:00 pm	and is filed under Beijing Travel, Chinese Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.