I've heard and seen mass weddings on TV and the newspapers but yesterday I had the rare chance of witnessing it for myself first time round at Federation Square. I didn't even have to be invited coz everyone can go!
This is a joint event organised by Melbourne city council and the council of Tianjin in China as a gesture of friendship between the 2 cities. All the 72 wedding couples are newly weds from China and are in Melbourne for their honeymoons.
The ceremony started quite suddenly with wedding couples marching in much to the delights of the audience amidst cheers and applause. The audience sitting on the aisle even got the chance to throw rose petals at them when they walked down the aisle!
When they've all settled down and seated, there were speeches made and national anthems sang both the chinese and australian ones! Following tradition the couples had to make a bow towards the east symbolising respect to their parents over in China, bow to the 2 mayors of the 2 cities and bow to each other!
Then of course we must have a few words from the host city's mayor Cr. John So giving the couples his blessings and congratulations in english but translated into chinese. The whole ceremony was conducted in 2 languages.
Next we had the deputy mayor of Tianjin giving her speech, blessings and congratulations to her countrymen and women. I learned that each couples paid AUD4,000 for the opportunity to be here today!
Lastly we had some councillor or minister or celebrant I can't remember giving his blessings to the wedding and asking that symbolic question to all the couples in which they all replied; "I do!"
So there you go, a mass wedding done in under 1 hour. 72 couples married in one swift blow. It was quite amusing since I've never been to something like this. I wonder if they have a mass reception somewhere and if we are invited also!
After the confetti the wedding couples lined up to go on stage to collect their certificates and gifts from the 2 mayors. With 72 couples, its going to take a while I think.
Especially if every couple wants to camwhore with the mayors. Lets say each couple takes 1 minute to camwhore, its still going to take them 72 minutes to get through all of them!
After camwhoring the bride gets 3 gifts on the way down. I don't know what they are but they looks like perfume maybe, or trinkets? Or tongkat ali!
Anyway it was a good ceremony! I enjoyed the occasion, I wish all the couples happiness, long lifes and plenty of babies! Now how about a mass wedding night?
This is a joint event organised by Melbourne city council and the council of Tianjin in China as a gesture of friendship between the 2 cities. All the 72 wedding couples are newly weds from China and are in Melbourne for their honeymoons.
The ceremony started quite suddenly with wedding couples marching in much to the delights of the audience amidst cheers and applause. The audience sitting on the aisle even got the chance to throw rose petals at them when they walked down the aisle!
When they've all settled down and seated, there were speeches made and national anthems sang both the chinese and australian ones! Following tradition the couples had to make a bow towards the east symbolising respect to their parents over in China, bow to the 2 mayors of the 2 cities and bow to each other!
Then of course we must have a few words from the host city's mayor Cr. John So giving the couples his blessings and congratulations in english but translated into chinese. The whole ceremony was conducted in 2 languages.
Next we had the deputy mayor of Tianjin giving her speech, blessings and congratulations to her countrymen and women. I learned that each couples paid AUD4,000 for the opportunity to be here today!
Lastly we had some councillor or minister or celebrant I can't remember giving his blessings to the wedding and asking that symbolic question to all the couples in which they all replied; "I do!"
So there you go, a mass wedding done in under 1 hour. 72 couples married in one swift blow. It was quite amusing since I've never been to something like this. I wonder if they have a mass reception somewhere and if we are invited also!
After the confetti the wedding couples lined up to go on stage to collect their certificates and gifts from the 2 mayors. With 72 couples, its going to take a while I think.
Especially if every couple wants to camwhore with the mayors. Lets say each couple takes 1 minute to camwhore, its still going to take them 72 minutes to get through all of them!
After camwhoring the bride gets 3 gifts on the way down. I don't know what they are but they looks like perfume maybe, or trinkets? Or tongkat ali!
Anyway it was a good ceremony! I enjoyed the occasion, I wish all the couples happiness, long lifes and plenty of babies! Now how about a mass wedding night?
15 comments:
What they do at the mass wedding night?!
goodness, dun wanna share share my wedding with so many people !!! me and my honey are supposed to be on the spotlight ok? so many people make me no special.. eeeeee
This is indeed better than G-20!
But I wouldn't want to share my wedding day with 71 other couples!!!
shared weddings means shared costs lo....good wat....but then angpao money also shared. :P
which reminds me that my wedding anniversary is just around the corner.
ps. the answer to neo's question is an Orgy. :P
wakaka...i just had to say it...
AUD4,000 is very expensive! So expensive can die!
Mass wedding night sounds fun. LOL.
wah lau!
party meh?
72 couples... so weird.
I am happy for them ..but 72 couple..meanning 144 ppl. good meh?
=)
neo: mass wedding night would be so sexciting! & AUD4000 i think includes airfares & honeymoon..i dunno!
robin: u r such a hopeless romantics!
che-cheh: aiya..share lah!
fashionasia: do share ur wedding anniversary with us!
little ray: of course mass wedding night is fun!
cynthia: 144 ppl..1 big ORGY!
SA: oo..i like that idea also!
wahhhhhhhh...ORGY!!!! I LIKE!!!!!
Geez.
How romantic...
O_o
That's not a bad deal at all. For your mayor I mean.
AUD 4K x 72 = AUD 288K for 72 minutes.
A very wise investment indeed. *wink wink*
I add to Titoki : PLus whatever other expenditure esp. buying souveniers.
alex allied: u so kinky!
j: ur the only one that say its romantic!
titoki & pablopabla: 4K includes airfares & honeymoon i think..
AUD4000 plus a 2 week honeymoon in Aus is indeed not expensive at all :)
When I first read the line "gesture of friendship between 2 cities" my brain went to work and started thinking "ooh..mail order bride" hahahahahahahaha
Mass Wedding Night? Hmmm..you better ask your wife first :P
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