Overseas option has growing appeal for Chinese

[Photo provided to China Daily]

When the Hong Kong actor Chung Chun-to, known as Kenny Bee, 61, married his long-time partner Fan Jiang in Bali, Indonesia, last year, the all-white themed apparel and the sumptuous venue, filled with top Hong Kong celebrities, made it one of the most talked about weddings of 2014.

In exactly the same venue about eight months later, another happy couple married, but this time the pair in question came without the celebrity trappings, just two ordinary citizens from Beijing wanting to celebrate in style.

"We went on a trip to Bali beforehand comparing different hotels for the wedding," says Vivienne Li, 26. "We eventually chose Alila Villas Uluwatu, where Kenny Bee's wedding was held. When I first saw their photos online I was struck by the venue's unique design, like a birdcage, and with its stunning sea views."

When she and her husband tied the knot in April, 50 guests flew in to celebrate with them.

"It was truly unique, one of the happiest moments of my life," Li says.

Like Li and her husband many other marrying couples in China are opting to go overseas to celebrate their big day. Pan Zhenyu, co-founder of Mocha Wedding in Beijing, says that the trend began to be particularly noticeable last year.

Mocha Wedding was founded in 1999 and has a staff of 80, making it one of the biggest wedding planning companies in China that customize weddings for the better off.