During this year’s National Day holiday in mainland China, the number of wedding banquets booked has significantly decreased compared to previous years. At the same time, the trend of “three nos” weddings – no wedding car procession, no professional videographer, and no bridesmaids or groomsmen – is becoming increasingly popular among couples. This news has become a hot topic on October 4.
During the National Day holiday, many couples choose to hold their weddings. In the past, it was common to have thirty to forty tables at a wedding banquet, but this year, the number of tables has drastically decreased. Lavish and extravagant weddings are also on the decline. According to a report from “Jinan Daily” on October 2, Hou Mingjing, the marketing director of Shandong Kerry Business Group Co., Ltd., revealed that the number of banquet tables booked during this year’s National Day holiday generally ranged from about ten to twenty tables, whereas scenes of “thirty to forty tables or even fifty tables per wedding” that used to be common in previous years are now rare to see.
Simultaneously, the standards for each wedding banquet table have also dropped. Hou Mingjing mentioned that the prices for wedding banquets at their affiliated stores have decreased from around 1599 yuan, 1699 yuan, and 2000 yuan per table to just over 1000 yuan, with an average cost per person of about 100 to 130 yuan.
As the number of banquet tables decreases, wedding ceremonies have also become more concise. Zhang Wei, the market director of Jinan Rovway Palace Banquet Hotel, revealed that “lavish and complex wedding ceremonies are gradually decreasing, and the form of weddings has changed.” Moreover, an increasing number of couples are opting for the “three nos” wedding style – no wedding car procession, no professional videographer, and no bridesmaids or groomsmen. More and more couples are turning to all-in-one, personalized venues such as wedding halls, while wedding banquets at regular dining establishments are becoming more like a ceremonious family dinner, with simplified proceedings focused on the food, family, and a good meal. The main theme of the entire wedding ceremony is simplicity.
On October 3, mainland China’s popular Weibo account “Financial Insights” commented on this trend, saying that young people are not devaluing weddings; rather, they have changed the standards of what they value. Previously, the emphasis was on “how good it looks to others,” but now the emphasis is on “how comfortable they feel.”
Some internet users also attribute the simplified wedding trend to economic downturn and decreased consumption levels.
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