Woman spends two years to prepare her big day in historical style

Dai Zhenzhen and her groom, Chu Haiting, tie the knot with a traditional Chinese wedding in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The ceremony features rituals dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). [Photo provided to China Daily]

It took her two years to prepare for the big day, and the most spectacular part was over in 30 minutes, Ye Zizhen reports.

It had all the pageantry and pomp of a television period drama, and as is usual with such an undertaking, painstaking months of costume design and planning were involved before viewers could enjoy the splendor of it all.

And, people went in large numbers to the modern-day wedding, with its trappings from centuries gone by.

The venue was a large gray meeting hall, where roof stands resembled stone dragons and the walls were adorned with red silk and dozens of red lanterns dangled from the ceiling. The decorations if seen at any other time would make one think Chinese New Year was just around the corner.

In fact, the day was Nov 29, and the brightest stars were not just the bride and groom but also their entourage, dressed in sumptuous garb inspired by the dynasties of yesteryear.

The bride, Dai Zhenzhen, a 26-year-old woman from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, where the wedding was held, was also the main event planner.