I am still here!!

I have been ignoring the blog-sphere for awhile. It has been a very busy summer, although it came very late. I am working on starting out on a new partnership with a US company called Extraordinary Destination Wedding. The company specialised in customized exotic weddings. Until recently, couples thought an exotic option was to be married in Italy for example, but with celebrities like Katy Perry who recently opted to be married in India, people are now starting to think beyond the beach for their weddings and they are truly following their adventurous hearts with dare to be different attitude. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2020, China will overtake France to become the largest tourist country. China is becoming more and more intriguing for couples from all corners of the globe. Her romance lies in its mystical culture and the serenity of its natural beauty. China couldn’t have over 1.3 billion people without a little romance. So she knows a thing or two about weddings. China has great potential in the wedding business out bound and in bound. It is a multi billions business.

I am also planning my South America trip in September. I will only be gone for about 3 and half weeks. Since I am trying to get to Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, I don't have a lot of time and there is tremendous amount of planning involved. But planning is half of the fun. I sometimes learn more during the planning stage than the actual trip. The actual trip then becomes a visual download of my research. It is truly a fascinating process.

I have also decided to learn how to roller blade as an adult!! Talk about off balance. But practice makes prefect and I have been practicing 3 times a week by the dog park. Summer is always so short. I have to make the best of it. Always mixing hard work with tons of fun!

Getting Married in China

Ever thought about having your wedding in China? According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2020, China will overtake France to become the largest tourist country and the fourth largest for overseas travel. China’s romance lies in its mystical culture and the serenity of its natural beauty. Here are a few things you should know about having a wedding in China.

The majority of wedding ceremonies in China are civil ceremonies typically performed by an older and influential family member or close friend. They act as both a witness to the union and Master of Ceremonies. A religious wedding ceremony is uncommon in China, especially ones performed by figures such as a Christian priest or minister. Additionally, there is no such thing as a Buddhist wedding. Weddings in China are tied more to the culture than to any particular religion.

China has over 5000 years of history. Therefore, it is no surprise its tradition of thousands of years of vast imperial bureaucracies carry through to today! While having a wedding in China will certainly be the romantic experience of your lifetime, the process of obtaining a marriage license is no Vegas drive-thru Chapel experience (maybe that's a really good thing!). It is time consuming and expensive. There is a lot of paperwork with embassies and/or consulates involved and everything will need to be translated into Chinese.

It is highly recommended for couples who both hold foreign passports to legally marry in their home country, and hold a symbolic wedding ceremony in China only.

Fun Chinese Wedding Traditions you can incorporate into your special day:

• Incorporate the number “9” any way you can. The number “9“ in Chinese sounds like the word that means long lasting or long time. Therefore, the Chinese love to include anything with this number when planning a wedding.
• Conduct a tea ceremony for the couple to honor parents from both sides. It is also a chance for the parents to present the couple with presents or red envelopes of money.
• Use the colors of red and gold. Chinese brides traditionally wear these two colors on their wedding day and they are the predominant color for all things wedding related.
• The Bride and her friends can have a bit of fun at the groom’s expense. The groom’s party or representative(s) arrives at the bride’s house or hotel room to “acquire” the blushing bride. The bride’s friends will not ‘surrender ’the bride until they are satisfied by red envelops of money from the groom’s representative. The good-natured haggling and hijinks are a lot of fun before the wedding.

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