A parade of limousines, bright bouquets – decorated cars, chic bridal gowns, stylish wedding photos, a luxury hotel for the wedding party and an all-inclusive wedding banquet… The list goes on.

These are all common, if not necessary, parts for a wedding ceremony in urban China today. However, the picture was different 3 decades ago.

Wedding necessities

“The living condition at that time was not as good as today. Those who could afford the “Old Three” for a wedding would be admired. The wealthy people would buy brides a “Diamond” watch, a “Phoenix” bicycle and a “Wuyang” sewing machine, which were all big brands at that time,” according to Tao Lin, a Shanghai citizen who got married in 1976.

Watch

Sewing machine

The “Old Three” Tao referred to were “watch, bicycle, and sewing machine.” Through the entire 1960s and 70s, these the “Old Three” were regarded as the three most important and valuable assets that a family could own.

Things changed since the reform and opening-up policy was initiated in late 1978. Regarded as "great historical change”, it largely increased the country’s national strength and bettered people’s lives. Wedding necessities were an example of this.

The popular “Old Three” for brides in the 1970s were replaced by the “New Three”—black-and-white TV set, washing machine, refrigerator in the following decade.

Liu Guimei from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, had all of the “New Three” when she got married in the 1980s. “My fiancé’s family was wealthy at that time. They bought a TV set, washing machine, and refrigerator for the wedding. In addition, they bought me a watch and a bicycle, and gave my parents 2,000 yuan in cash as betrothal gift,” Liu recalled, smiling.

Color TV set, motor car, and video recorder became popular in the 1990s. Golden accessories like ring, earrings, and necklace were added into the list of betrothal gifts to bride.

Wedding photos

1970s wedding photo

Wedding photos in the 1970s were not as grandiose as today. New couples usually took one photo, black-and-white, as their wedding photo. Dedication to the Chinese revolutionary cause led people to choose army uniforms or plain farmer’s clothes, over traditional wedding gowns or western suits, to pose for their wedding photos before they were married. Wedding pictures were often hung on the wall in each family to show that the couple was married as husband and wife.

1980s wedding photo

In the 1980s, white wedding gowns became fashionable and the trend made its way into the 1990s. Because of heavy makeup, couples were often unrecognizable in their wedding photos as they strived to look glamorous.