No fuss, just dinner: China couple trade wedding extravagance for US$11,000 feast, cash gifts

A young couple in eastern China have gone viral on social media for skipping elaborate wedding traditions and instead holding simple nuptials, spending money only on banquets and cash gifts for their guests.

The bride, surnamed Zhu, is from Ningbo in Zhejiang province, while the groom, Wang, is from Taizhou, also in Zhejiang. The couple, both in their early 30s, held wedding celebrations in their respective hometowns in September, according to the Ningbo Evening News.

Rather than follow extravagant wedding traditions, the couple held what they called a “four no’s” wedding.

The four no’s were: no picking up the bride from her home, no fleet of luxury wedding cars, no hired master of ceremonies for the banquet, and no videographer to record the proceedings.

They also had no groomsmen or bridesmaids. As a result, there was no wedding hazing – a custom in which groomsmen play pranks on the newlyweds and bridal party.

But Zhu and Wang did not skimp on their wedding banquets. In Zhu’s hometown of Ningbo, they invited hundreds of guests to a banquet with 45 tables. They spent 70,000 yuan (US$11,000) on expensive seafood and other lavish dishes.

In China, it is common to give guests cigarettes as wedding favours. Zhu opted to give them red envelopes containing 200 to 300 yuan each, saying she thought few of her guests smoked.

Usually, the newlyweds’ parents give speeches to offer their blessings. But Zhu’s father kept his speech to just 41 seconds, thanking the guests for attending and saying he hoped they enjoyed the meal.

Zhu said she and her husband were both introverted and disliked bustling scenes. They also did not want to trouble their relatives or friends.

“I have attended some large weddings before. I found that the newlyweds, their parents and their guests were all tired. So I hoped to simplify my wedding,” she was quoted as saying.

“If our parents became ill from the stress of organising our wedding, it would not be worthwhile,” Zhu added.

Their parents initially did not accept the idea but later came around, Zhu said.

She said there was no need to film the wedding because “no one would watch the video after the wedding”.

However, she did value having wedding photos taken. The couple travelled to Yulong Snow Mountain, a popular tourist destination in Yunnan province, southwestern China, for the photos.

“It is meaningful to me because the photos were taken at a place I like,” Zhu said.

Lu, Zhu’s aunt, said after the banquet that she was surprised by the absence of traditional wedding rituals but was nevertheless pleased with the celebration.

“But the banquet was wonderful. The food was the most delicious I have ever had,” Lu told the media cheerfully.

The couple’s simplified wedding went viral after being shared by major domestic media outlets.

Many people supported them, with one commenting: “It is a good idea. After all, at many weddings, the newlyweds seem to be acting in front of their guests.”

Others disapproved.

“The wedding lacked the proper celebrations. They will regret not taking their big day seriously,” one person commented.