Life of Guangzhou - Want a Wedding with Style? Marry the Chinese Way...

October 24th will remain an important and emotionally-charged day for Jeremy and his beautiful bride, who were both the main characters of an eye-catching wedding celebration held in the small traditional Lingnan-style village located on the peaceful island on the University City.

Jeremy and his bride

Jeremy, a handsome British citizen, was marrying his Chinese girlfriend surrounded by friends and family from China and abroad. Today, they both live and work in Guangzhou and although they are a young and modern couple, they made the choice to celebrate their union in a very traditional style.

A woven ball with silk embroideries is the prize all are trying to catch.

The bride descends from her sedan chair.

The newly-wed bow to each other.

The newly-wed worship the gods.

The whole ceremony was lively and enjoyable and many traditional Chinese elements were present: the deafening sound of gongs and drums, the lion dancing, and of course the clothes. The groom, dressed in a long Chinese robe, watched his bride arrive in a beautifully decorated bridal sedan chair accompanied by the wedding guests which included over 300 foreigners, all wearing Tang dynasty suits. After a touching ceremony held in the Garden of Impressions, the two lovers boarded a small boat for a short row across Lianxi Lake, a symbol of ever-lasting love.

Jeremy smiled and waved to the crowd, obviously deeply moved by the ceremony. His father-in-law told us that Jeremy was so fond of Chinese culture that he decided to learn Mandarin and can now speak it fluently. It was his love for Chinese culture that made him choose to celebrate his wedding in such a fashion. As for his wife, a graduate from Fudan University in Shanghai, she said that such a grand wedding ceremony was a way for her to repay her parents for the love and support they gave to her.

A romantic boat-trip across Lianxi Lake.

Guests and tourists amused by the ceremony.

Obviously, such an event attracted the attention of all those present in the village, and thousands of curious tourists crowded around the Garden of Impressions, cheering the married couple and taking photos with some of the guests.

(By Chen Xiaoting, David Keyton)