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China economy
People & CultureTrending in China

‘Not too beautiful but not too ugly’: renting bridesmaids has become a burgeoning industry in China

  • Renting bridesmaids is more common in China as modern society often results in a more lonely life
  • Professional bridesmaids often have expectations about looks, personality types and are even asked to fabricate fake friendship stories

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More Chinese brides are turning to businesses to find their bridesmaids. Photo: SCMP
Alice Yan

One of the most difficult decisions for a bride ahead of her wedding is the choosing of bridesmaids. But for Chinese couples who struggle with this dilemma, a new service has emerged: renting them.

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Huihui, a 22-year-old entrepreneur from Shandong province in eastern China, has joined the burgeoning bridesmaid-for-hire industry and turned it into a career for herself. According to Shandong Business News, the young woman has not only been a bridesmaid for over a dozen weddings, but she has also opened a leasing studio in her city Jinan.
She said more than 1,000 women across the country had registered their interest in becoming ad hoc bridesmaids, the report said, with most of them using it to make some extra cash to supplement their salary.
An advertisement for a potential bridesmaid in China. Photo: Weibo
An advertisement for a potential bridesmaid in China. Photo: Weibo
“Why is there a demand for renting a bridesmaid? I think the main reason is that people live a lonely life in modern society. Classmates often do not contact each other after graduation, and it can be challenging to make friends with colleagues,” Huihui said.

The cost of hiring a bridesmaid ranges from 400 yuan (US$63) to 1,000 yuan (US$157) per day, depending on the city.

Huihui said it could be a challenge to find someone willing to wake up early in the morning and dedicate an entire day to a wedding of a couple they do not even know.

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The entrepreneur said young women hoping to be a rented bridesmaid need to fill in a questionnaire listing their age, height, weight, the Chinese zodiac sign for their birth year, personality traits and talents if any.

Huihui said: “Professional bridesmaids should not be too pretty and not be taller than 1.8m. Some clients also want a bridesmaid with at least a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “We will provide candidates according to the clients’ requirements.”

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