Couples line up to register for marriage at Shanghai Minhang District Registration Center of Marriage in east China's Shanghai, June 1, 2024. /CFP
China has established its first wedding-related professional undergraduate major, set to begin recruiting students this September. This new major in wedding service and management aims to cultivate high-level professionals equipped to provide comprehensive wedding services.
The curriculum includes courses in management, sociology, marriage and family culture, family ethics, as well as the economics and management of the wedding industry. Students will gain skills in wedding registration management, family counseling, high-end wedding planning, matchmaking and wedding product design.
Additionally, the teachings emphasize practical problem-solving abilities and incorporate hands-on learning experiences in real-world settings such as wedding registration offices and wedding halls.
"The major will recruit 70 new undergraduate students from 12 provinces across the country in 2024," said Zhao Honggang, vice president of China Civil Affairs University. "The focus is to cultivate high-level, innovative talents capable of providing comprehensive services throughout the wedding process."
"After graduation, students can find employment in industry associations, matchmaking agencies, wedding service companies and marriage and family counseling agencies," he added.
Last year, there were 7.68 million marriage registrations nationwide, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Weddings are significant life events, and wedding planners play a crucial role in helping couples create meaningful ceremonies. This aligns with one of the training focuses of this new wedding-related undergraduate major, which aims to equip students with the skills needed to support and enhance the wedding planning process.
Newlyweds dressed in traditional costumes attend a group wedding at Ziyang Park in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 18, 2024. /CFP
Meeting modern demands: Shift to simplified, personalized services
Xia Ping, a seasoned wedding planner, highlights the evolving demands of the wedding industry. Born in the 1980s, Xia Ping has spent 25 years in the field, planning over 3,000 weddings of various types, including hotel, lawn and destination weddings.
Recently, Xia Ping organized a group wedding where couples wore traditional Chinese attire and walked down a red carpet to classical music. Every detail was meticulously crafted to create unforgettable moments for the newlyweds. Her approach prioritized the personalized needs of each couple, from wedding dress and makeup choices to the banquet and overall ceremony.
Bride Xu Jiachun, a participant in one of Xia Ping's weddings, emphasized the preference of young people today for simplicity and professional services.
"I just need to provide my ideas, and wedding planning offers a one-stop service," she said. "Everything is managed by experts."
Xia Ping's philosophy of starting from the needs of the newlyweds and avoiding routine solutions aligns perfectly with the educational goals of the new undergraduate major. As the wedding industry continues to grow and evolve, the need for professional, well-trained individuals like Xia Ping becomes increasingly apparent.
In this context, the new major integrates academic rigor with practical experience to develop skilled professionals, ensuring that the tradition of meaningful and personalized weddings continues to be upheld in China.