Hong Kong - Wedding Central, Part I

I swear, the hotel I stay in here in Hong Kong has a wedding every other second. First of all, the Chinese do not marry just on Saturdays like Americans do (although I am getting married on a Sunday because it's half-price). They go visit some family fortune teller (or religious guru or astrologist or something like that) and they take the bride and groom's Chinese birth years and measure it up against all sorts of things and determine a proper date for a couple to get married. So, there are weddings on Tuesdays in Hong Kong. It's perfectly normal and acceptable. In fact, from what I hear, lots of couples prefer mid-week weddings to keep attendance down, therefore costs down. Weddings in China are no small deal. I was talking to a Hong Kong resident and she had 750 people at her wedding. WTF?

I am lucky that I get to stay in really nice hotels. It's just another travel perk I get. The hotel here is my home away from home. I know all the doormen and bellhops and concierge guys. They all know me by name and it's nice. It's got a really great view and would be a lovely wedding location. Here are some pics I took last night.

The view from the second floor lobby down into the main lobby.

The marble staircase leading up to the grand ballroom. All the flowers are fake - for every wedding I've ever seen here.

The very bizarre snacks in the registration area. It looks like Starbursts, dried pumpkin seeds and Gorp. Weird.

A close up of the seating assignments. Um, who's at Table 26?

Entering the Grand Ballroom. Swanky, no?

This is the bridal party head table, dressed in red. Traditionally, the Chinese wear red at weddings, but they have adopted the white Western style wedding dress. Lots of times the brides will marry in white and change into a traditional Chinese gown for the reception/exit.

The other tables settings. All the flowers in here are fake too.

Make no mistake, it's Cathy and Leo who are gettin' hitched!

The ice sculptures. I'm not sure if it could get tackier. The Chinese love opulence and gaudy, of this I am certain.

The wedding party bustling about. I'm not sure of the rules and such regarding bridesmaid dresses. The ones I see at the hotel are always ivory/white, but are generally short. They don't match either. I need to find out more about this phenomenon.

Sadly, I didn't catch a glimpse of the bride for this wedding. However, when I came back from my foray this afternoon, I did catch that bride and got photos! Stay tuned, that post with pictures is coming soon! It was a Hong Kong Wedding Extravaganza for The Thirty-Something Bride today! Oh, so much to tell. And yes, shoes are involved!