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Tying the knot needn`t be dull
  

 

A group of 155 newlywed couples from around the country hold a group wedding ceremony in Lijiang, Yunnan province. Lu Zhongqiu

Love may be eternal, but weddings are all about fashion for the young and hip in China.

A couple in Yunnan province, for instance, recently got married in a Spider-Man-type ceremony. The bride and the groom sat on two planks, held by rope, 20 m above the ground, outside an office building, where they exchanged vows, rings and kisses.

 

An Olympic-themed, airborne wedding ceremony, in Nanjing. Sun Can

The couple was used to being hoisted in mid-air - they both worked as window cleaners.

If height isn`t your thing, try speed. A couple in Shandong province tied the knot riding scooters. The bride and the groom each rode a balloon-festooned scooter across town, followed by friends and families, also on electric bicycles.

The couple thought the ceremony was unique, environmentally friendly, and most of all, not too expensive.

In Harbin, Heilongjiang province, three environmentally conscious couples ditched limousines and rode public buses to their weddings. The "green weddings" took place on the city`s "no car day" in September last year.

Dynasty-style weddings have regained their popularity. The bride, dressed in traditional red robes, sits in a sedan chair carried by four bearers - a mode of transport dating back to pre-engine days.

The wedding follows the procedures of ancient ceremonies. The groom lifts the veil of the bride, and both blush to show they are happily in love.

Couples who choose to get married this way think it`s an interesting showcase of ancient tradition. Interracial couples, especially, favor the old style weddings.

Communal weddings, in which dozens of couples celebrate their union together, are popular among rural migrant workers who come to the city to find work and love.

Last November, 46 migrant worker couples got married in Chongqing city square. The city mayor and officials hosted the collective wedding. Dragon dances boosted the atmosphere as happy crowds cheered on.

Dating websites also love to host collective weddings. Couples who meet online can choose to get married together at ceremonies arranged by the website companies.

If the cyber world isn`t romantic enough, they can get married on horseback in the woods, or on a boat in the middle of a lake.

If you can`t make up your mind, wedding expos and bridal shows will give you a few ideas from Olympic themes to tree planting parties. Many of them are worth a visit even if you`re single, as there is usually a single`s meeting area where phone numbers are exchanged and hopes are built.

As weddings get more creative, it seems that although love is hard to find, it certainly is easier to show.

 

Left: Brides and bridegrooms ride motorbikes for a group wedding in Weifang, Shandong province. Wang Xiaoli Right: Eight couples put lotus lamps on a river in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Li Junfeng

 

Left: A couple in Kunming, Yunnan province, exchanges wedding rings in mid-air. Su Ying  Right: A couple has their wedding photos taken by the seaside in Haikou, Hainan province. Peng Tong

 

A couple chooses to get married in a traditional way in Xiuning county, Anhui province. Ni Aibing

 
Date:2008-2-14 8:36:30     
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