A couple take wefies during the collective wedding on April 22, 2024. - China Daily/ANN
HONG KONG:In a grand celebration, 30 couples in Hong Kong, all aged above 65, confirmed their love by attending a special collective wedding ceremony on Monday (April 22) morning in Tuen Mun, adorning themselves in formal wedding dresses and suits for the first time in their lives despite having been married for decades.
Organised by the International Lions Club and Hong Kong Women Development Association at Gold Coast Yacht & Country Club, the event aimed to bestow the “oldly weds”, who hail from humble backgrounds, the sort of marriage ceremony they had long yearned for but were unable to enjoy in their youth due to financial or other reasons.
After the completion of the ceremony, the organisers also arranged a celebratory lunch for the 30 couples.
Ng Shan-shan, the Region II Chairperson of Lions Clubs International District 303, said that the unofficial nuptials aimed to create a positive atmosphere within the elderly community.
Ip Shun-hing, chairperson of Hong Kong Women Development Association Limited, said that one of the most challenging tasks in organising this ceremony was ensuring the 30 couples had wedding gowns and suits that fitted them perfectly.
Some brides had undertaken weight loss plans in secret to prepare for this special occasion, Ip said.
Kwan Wei-ming, 77, and his 72-year-old wife walked hand in hand into the venue.
Kwan said that he and his wife got married when she was 19, but due to their family’s poor financial situation at the time, they couldn’t hold a wedding ceremony.
After nearly half a century of waiting, the prospect of this ceremony had filled him and his wife with such overwhelming excitement that they had not slept on Sunday night, Kwan said.
He added that he believed their bridal photoshoot would fill their two daughters with joy and inspire them. - China Daily/ANN
