Group Weddings – have you thought to share your special day?

Group Weddings ~ I’m staring at a photograph on the internet of a group of Chinese brides and grooms, all 60 of them, queueing to get married in Jinan, east China’s Shandong Province. The government in China encourages group weddings because it saves a fortune – the average wedding costs 150,000 yuan or $23 000.

Now I’m not for a minute suggesting that you throw a group wedding on that scale, although let’s face it, groups of friends do tend to get married at more-or-less the same time – one wedding sparks another. What I am tentatively moving towards is the idea of you and a close friend or relative sharing a wedding.

Before you jump up and down about how you want your special, unique moment in the sun, er spotlight, there are quite a few reasons why you might consider a Group Wedding …

Dollar signs

You would, to put it mildly, save a fortune, particularly if you’re after a ‘grand’ event

A grand event

Even if each of you keeps your wedding small, say 80 guests each, together this will amount to a wedding on a grand scale and a celebration of note – adding to your spotlight moment

Half the planning

Group Weddings not only reduce the planning time, but you will have someone to act as a sounding board for all major decisions

Double the fun

And you will get to share make-up artist, hairdresser (you can reduce a hairdresser’s fee if both of you, and your bridesmaids all use the same one), caterer, wedding organiser etc.

Increase your communication skills

By the time your double wedding day comes round, you’ll have communication with an important other (your fellow bride) down to fine art, preparing you to cope with marital strife with aplomb