The National Day holiday is a great time for weddings because of the celebratory dates and of course, the long holiday. This year, we see the younger generations, the post-95s and post-00s in China getting married and they are bringing new trends to the wedding ceremonies such as the drinks and snacks that they love.
HeyTea is one of the most obvious choices because of the “喜” (xi, or “hei/hey” in Cantonese) in its Chinese name “喜茶” which means happiness and the character is traditionally used to decorate wedding ceremonies in China in its doubled form “囍”. In 2022, HeyTea explored the wedding service to provide beverages to weddings with giveaways and a video campaign. Large orders of HeyTea drinks are now offered at weddings, along with other tea chain options such as CHAGEE and Sexytea, especially those with gift boxes that can be given out to guests.
Latiao is a popular snack among millennials and Gen Z. One of the major latiao brands Mala Wangzi (麻辣王子, sometimes Spicy Prince) has been hosting “latiao weddings” up and down the country and recently announced its 2,000th wedding in July. These weddings feature latiao as snacks, gifts and props.
Others bring elements about the often talked about but rarely put to practice fantasy of weddings at McDonald’s à la birthday parties at the iconic fast-food chain to celebrate their nuptials. This is because it is hard to accomplish especially when older generations like parents will also attend the same events. But bringing burgers and fries to a “proper” wedding venue is a good compromise. Toy-themed weddings featuring POP MART figurines or Jellycat plushies are also popular.
Young people today are hosting innovative weddings that provide “emotional value” for themselves and resonate with other younger people. With simplified weddings and fun activities, the younger generations are moving away from lavish banquets to a less expensive, less stressful celebration.
