How to attract these customers?
If traditional marriage has long been crucial and very important to respect in Chinese culture, they slowly but surely begin to soften. Therefore, more and more Chinese couples decide to get married abroad. When this is the case, they are willing to spend a fortune to have the wedding of their dreams.
Wedding is not something to be trifled with
Wedding is taken very seriously in China. It is part of the primordial step that every Chinese must accomplish in life and it is a testimony to the eyes of society, culture and tradition. It is also a way to show his wealth and social status and getting married abroad is a proves of wealth.
Last year, 12 million couples got married and this figure is increasing by 5% according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Why? This is simply an effect of the mid 1980s baby boom which causes a significant number of people who, now, have the age to marry. This new generation might not want to obey the tradition and would rather like to have an exceptional and unique wedding. The family-in-law is often willing to do anything to please the future bride and groom and it is estimated that the average expenditure for weddings in major cities is 12 000 euros.
However, these marriages are organized in China when it comes to the ceremony, photos and videos abroad, prices can reach heights. For example, Liu Yaqiong (manager of a fitness club) and Zhang Yin (musician) spent € 85 000 for a typical Western wedding with a Cartier ring and a 15 tables banquet in the 5 star Legendate Hotel in Beijing. A video made previously, showing the young couple in Phuket, was screened during the banquet. This 4 minutes of pure happiness cost € 1,200 to the couple. If you love, you don’t count the cost!
What are the most popular destinations?
If Chinese couples decide to organize their ceremony abroad, they often spend months or years to prepare this event. Everything must be perfect and nothing should interfere in the most important day of their lives. So what is the perfect place to spend the happiest day of their life?
Bali is a hotspot but not only for Chinese couples. This island is the most popular place on earth for weddings. However it is even more convenient for Chinese because it is not that far from China and marriage agencies out there begin to specialize for Chinese customers. They offer all kinds of services, from photo shoots and videos of the ceremony, to hair dresser and make up session of the groom and bridesmaids, and of course the complete organization of the wedding. The competition is fierce!
France is also one of the favourite spot for Chinese couples. Paris is obviously a particularly popular destination, but thanks to the Chinese TV show (Dreams Link), the « Pays de la Loire » region and the city of Tour became well known for hosting considerable number of wedding or couple who wish to renew their vows. Why France? For the romantic side, the luxury and the historical heritage. It is a typical French marriage (white dress, veil and beautiful location) that they seek for. The « Provence » region is also popular for their honeymoon. The Chinese are willing to pay more than 50,000 euros in order to frolic in the famous lavender fields of the area.
