happily ever before

As pre-wed couples flock to the beach with all the props for their once in a lifetime marriage photos, beach life goes on as usual in Sanya, China.

During China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, dressing up was considered capitalism. Skirts and dresses were not available. Everyone wore the same blue, grey and green color. Couples weren’t able to get wedding photos taken because of the implications of the white wedding dress and wedding photos as a symbol of western capitalism. Instead, their wedding photo was a single passport-sized photo that simply documented that the marriage had taken place. Before China's Cultural Revolution, China had just come out of Great Leap Forward & Great Famine. The country and people were extremely poor. Nowadays, things have changed tremendously. Pre-wedding photography is a thriving industry in today's modern China. Couples travel near and far for elaborate wedding photos even before they confirm a date for their wedding.