Beijing (北京) is the capital city of China and one of the busiest cities in the world with a population of over 20 million people. The Chinese characters for Beijing are a combination of the words for north (北) and capital (京) and the city has been China's political, economic and cultural center for centuries. There are numerous five star hotels for your wedding in Beijing and many sightseeing attractions for your out of town guests to visit including palaces, temples and of course the Great Wall.
The northern location of Beijing means that it's winters are cold and dry with an average monthly temperature under zero degrees centigrade in January, therefore indoor weddings at that time of year are a must. In Summer and parts of Spring and Autumn it is possible to schedule an outdoor wedding since it is relatively warm and mostly dry, just watch out for the sandstorms that may blow in from the Mongolian steppes.
In China it is common for couples to arrange for pre-wedding pictures, this allows time to relax and take great pictures in various locations and outfits. However, most western couples will have their main wedding pictures taken on the actual day of their wedding, so for them it is very important to select a good wedding photographer in Beijing and wedding videographer in Beijing since they will not get a second chance for the perfect shot.
As is the case with most cities in Northern Asia it is often hard to find English language wedding service providers, so we recommend that you let your wedding venue take care of the arrangements for you. Alternatively, you can seek the assistance of an experienced Beijing wedding planner or use our directory to locate vendors with websites that have an English language option.
For more information about the traditional and cultural aspects of a wedding in Beijing please visit our section about weddings in China.
For a citizen of China to marry a non-Chinese citizen the following documents are required.
For all couples planning to marry in China a pre-marital health report is required, this can be obtained from a hospital that is approved by the marriage registration department. The bride and groom must both be single, if either party has been previously married then they will require proof that they are now single and eligible to marry again (such as a certified divorce or death certificate). To be legally allowed to marry in China men must be at least 22 years old and women must be at least 20.
After you have the documents that you require you can take them to the marriage registration department to have your marriage legally registered. The department will check your application and if your documentation is correct your application will be accepted. After acceptance you may then register your marriage within 1 month and your marriage certificate will be given to you by the marriage registration department at that time.
20 Worker's Stadium East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
For more information about the legal requirments for getting married in Beijing please visit the government's website.
