Yes, I've been to three. Two Han and one Uyghir. The latter was really good and the former were both as per above. Souless and exercises in face gaining and money accumulating. I thought they were both quite sad.

In fact, I wrote a Blog about them on EEC a year or so ago.

I was married in China but it took place in an old hall in a small city in Xinjiang. The only witnesses were the old couple standing next to us who were getting married at the same time. No wedding party, thank God.

Only one, and between a Brit and a fairly westernised local girl.

We only had to really be there for their entrance to the restaurant, and all that followed that.

The B&G looked thoroughly stressed, :(

there was a larg screen and projector, over which they had showing a stack of 'wedding photos' (those stupid things were the couple pay exorbitant prices to pay some dick photographer to pay them to wear stupid outfits and sit or stand in ridiculous positions in authentic, wonderful, secluded natural settings... like hundreds of others (which are then photoshopped!) As well as the photos of other significant times in their lives (with stupid comments written on them in that 'cutetsy' thing that's happened in the last decade or 2).

However, there was also a video sent over by his mates who couldn't come over from Britland... that was quite amusing

The endless photos were annoying - and having the groom being photoed with the 'gift' of cigarettes and hongboas was just so tacky! Also, having those wankers get up close and personal to the B&G during the actual ceremony, ruining any photos for any others was very annoying! If it wasn't such a special occasion for them, I'd've said something to get them to move (which they wouldn't have understood...).

The groom originally made it clear that we were under no obligation to come along, as it was just going to be a tacky chinese wedding.. but I wouldn't have missed it for the world (or at least a small portion of it), and for that I think he was extremely grateful.

I've been to a few wedding meals, mainly in the city, which followed the same script & almost the same menus! Arrive, happy couple greet all the guests, everyone eats, a speech or two, the groom goes round every table gan beiing everyone & then has to be carried out.

Then the waitresses bring plastic bags (or in expensive places, plastic boxes) & all the leftover food gets taken home by the guests! All very similar and a bit boring.

I've been to two I really enjoyed. The first was ScotsAlan's weeding meal. There were a lot of works colleagues there, both Chinese & Western, so it was a fun do & some of us hit the bars in GZ after.

The 2nd was a village wedding in Guangdong. This was a cousin of Scots wife. Coach left GZ on the Friday & returned Sunday. It was one of these typically Chinese organised weekends. Slightly grotty but cheap hotel, chaos on the bus as too many people (some only coming along for a shopping trip!) but a little ad of fun! I didn't go on the breaking down the door part in the morning as I had a wander round the back streets of the city centre with my wife (I'd guess this place was probably 4th tier!).

The afternoon was spent with photo shoots & a little ceremony in the family home, a walk to Scots wife's home village & meeting grandmother, all the while drinking cans of lukewarm harbin beer. The meal was great....a marquee set out on a side road, cooked in massive woks on wood fires & some very good seafood.

I'd take a village wedding over a city one any day!