Those who’ve been following this blog for a while know that me covering weddings is a fairly regular thing. When you have a friends group whose age is around 21-25; it’s just what happens. Anyway, These photos are actually from back in September; I almost forgot I had them. One of the Aston CTs who I’ve known for a long time; Maggie – married her high-school sweetheart. Enjoy the pics!


As usual; Chinese weddings start out with the groom and his friends going from their house to the bride’s house. While I’m more friends with Maggie than her husband; I’m a dude – so that means I have to roll with the dudes. Anyway, early morning wake up and me and my 2 cameras and several lenses were reading to be picked up and taken to the groom’s house.

  
Every new wedding I go to seems to have some new tradition or local custom. In this case, it was the groom getting wrapped up with a giant bow, and carrying around a small mirror!

Our convey of cars outside a toll-booth. Fun fact: In China most wedding convoys are black cars. White is the colour associated with death here, so white for funerals, black for weddings!

After the 45min drive out to Maggie’s hometown, we were of course greeted with copious amounts of fireworks!

The groom and his posse marching down the alley towards Maggie’s home. His entourage are carrying the traditional gifts needed to give to the family of the bride.

Then, another tradition of the bride’s friends trying to stop the groom and his friends from entering her home. You have to give them red envelopes of money for them to let you pass. Mmm… bribery!

  
Maggie looked stunning!

Then the groom got attacked by lipstick from his mother-in-law-to-be. Some of these traditions I really don’t follow.

Maggie found this all very amusing. (PS: This is now one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken.)

The groom presented the bride with a bouquet.

If you’re not pounding Baijiu all day; you’re not doing it right.

Bride’s family and the groom.

Bow to the parents…

…then carry away your new purchase! ^_^

Leaving the house, everyone in the neighbourhood (who’ve known Maggie since she was a baby) come out after hearing the commotion.

They make ‘barriers’ out of red string. Again, bribe to pass. 😀

This looks like a still from a Hollywood movie; just before something explodes in the background.

The wedding car.

Then we roll to the bride and groom’s new apartment where we’re met with…erm. Well, singing, dancing, fireworks; general craziness.

Seems like the US Military isn’t the only place with a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy.

Then, as the groom, you have to carry your bride to her new apartment. Remind me to buy a 1st floor apartment when I get married!

Outside the door; again, it’s locked. Again; inside are more of the bride’s friends wanting bribes. This is where you cheat and perch your wife on the stair-bannister to catch your breath.

The door finally opens, and everybody rushes in.

You drop the bride on the bed. There’s usually a nice pattern made from chocolates, and some new bed sheets and other gifts from the family.

This is a character for “Happiness” spelled out of various snacks.

Happy she was!

Then it’s off to the restaurant for the actual wedding ceremony. Here’s a quick shot of Maggie’s apartment complex; it’s super-pimp!

The restaurant for the wedding was stunning. It’s on the outskirts of town, and it’s a HUGE stadium-sized building with a man-made jungle inside. As we arrived there were no less than 3 other weddings arriving. I almost ended up heading to the wrong wedding!

This was the room for Maggie’s wedding. Plenty of people!

The MC.

At this point I was joined by other Aston staff.

Pretty flowers.

Again, this is one of my new favourite photos.

  
The groom then walks down the aisle singing a song to woo his bride.

Then, the walk down the aisle.

Some ceremonial stuff. As I spend more time in China I understand more and more of this bit.

Another thing to add to the list; “It’s not a Chinese wedding without a bubble machine.”

Or without fireworks ready to singe your eyebrows.

So, in China you get married (on paper) before your actual wedding ceremony. Some people may get married years before their ceremony as they’re working to save for the wedding or an apartment, etc. Thus; in this picture you can see the groom has already been wearing his wedding ring for a while.

  
I loved this wedding fountain. Another behind-the-scenes tip: They replace the wine with fruit juice! 😮

Some government dude comes and reads their wedding licenses and ‘pronounces’ them man and wife.

Then, the bosses of the couples’ companies speak. First, the groom’s…(who is a car salesman for Chevrolet.

The the bride’s…who’s boss is my boss! It’s Sheldon!

Time to drink the fruit juice!

It’s baijiu time!

  
Bottom’s up!

Let’s not forget delicious food!

This guy, as well as having a bitchin’ hair-do, also was quite the showman. There may or may not be a video of drunken foreigners dancing on stage with him. Stay tuned to the blog for that.

  
Happy happy happy.



The foreigners looking…foreign.

And one of us with Maggie!

It was a great wedding, and I was honoured to be taking photos.

For all 504 photos, look here: Flickr.

I’ll post the video of the dancing foreigners at some point; so stay tuned!

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