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Wedding Professionals in Hot Demand

The Beijing Times reports wedding-related professions are growing rapidly in China, with the number of married couples surging in 2006. The paper said that about 70,000 new couples register to marry each year in Beijing, but there are only about 2,000 wedding professionals operating in the city, including consultants, designers, and photographers.

The booming wedding-service market has now attracted many people to choose it as a part-time job in a wide range of areas, from arranging venues to post-production photo services. The paper said using amateurs may cause problems, because of difficulties in management and inconsistent quality. To cope with the growing problems, a new Beijing-based wedding-profession committee has been established to issue certificates of qualification to wedding designers, wedding counsellors, venue designers and other professionals. The paper said the fact that the wedding profession is getting stronger represents a step in the right direction.