Chinese marriage customs dictate a lavish display of wealth with banquets and a guest list a mile long…wealth that most young couples, living with salaries that hasn’t caught up to inflation for years, do not have. So…in come the parents to the rescue.
According to a survey, with Chinese weddings averaging HK$300,000, or almost the cost of a down payment for a small flat, 41 percent of parents will help pay for their children’s weddings — ideally at a five-star hotel, which can cost about HK$600,000.
An astounding 70 percent of couples said that being able to have their wedding at a five-star hotel is more important than going on a honeymoon (really?!).
Parents are financially supportive because they, too, wish to impress friends and family with a lavish display. Some think it’s much more practical to put that money toward a down payment for a home, with Hong Kong’s unbelievable property prices.
Source: Sky Post
Photo: torbakhopper, Flickr
