My friend got married on Monday. She spent 2 or 3 hours getting made up - putting on the pretty dress, curling her hair, and applying makeup (on her arms as well as her face). Then we went to her husband's house and ate a big meal with a bunch of people. After the meal, she hid away in the house for the afternoon. It seemed silly to get all gussied up just for that.
Part of the tradition involves the groom carrying the bride on his back from her house to his. Her house is about a day walk and a day drive away, so he just carried her a few hundred yards from the car to the door.
My friend was one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen. She was also hands down the most unhappy. At one point I asked whether she was having fun. She responded, "No, spending all day together with him isn't fun." It seems to me she chose to marry this guy because he will be able to provide for her. She has said several time that she doesn't intend to spend much time with him, and doesn't expect they will be very good friends...
On the lighter side of all of this, there were English blurbs in her wedding album. My favorite was, "Confused rumor is the cherished more." And here's a picture of the billboard sized sign outside the bridal shop.
If you can't read it, it says, "Marry a period Fragrant Li Jiang Romantic of trip."I'm tempted to offer the bridal shop my English services free of charge, just to save countless couples from the terror of their errors.
