A model presents wedding dress in Hong Kong Wedding Fair in Hong Kong, south China, Aug. 12, 2017. (Photo: Li Peng/Xinhua)
Nearly half of interviewees in Hong Kong, who got married or planned to get married before the end of 2021, said their weddings have been affected due to the recent social unrest.
A survey done by Hong Kong wedding media ESDlife was made public on Monday, with the results showing that more than 10 percent of interviewees had to postpone their weddings because of the social riots, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The survey comes at a time when Hong Kong has suffered months of anti-government protests, some of which have escalated into violence and vandalism.
The protests have affected residents' normal life and seriously dampened Hong Kong's economy, which was until recently one of Asia's most popular travel destinations and a global financial hub.
In view of the social unrest, ESDlife conducted a follow-up interview in early October with 729 individuals who are getting married between September 2019 and the end of 2021. It revealed that 52 percent of interviewees were affected by the social atmosphere in various degrees, including one in 10 couples saying they would postpone or cancel their weddings.
Other impacts include late deposit payment to wedding service providers and additional wedding expenses, as some interviewees expressed concerns over transportation and safety of guests on their wedding day.
Casey Chow, marketing manager of ESDlife, was cited by Xinhua as saying that some couples had to re-print their invitations postponing their wedding, while others arranged shuttle vehicles for guests as the metro service was impacted.
"These are all the main causes of rising wedding costs," said Chow.
From August to September, ESDlife interviewed 1,297 Hong Kong residents who are planning to get married between 2019 and 2021, with the aim of learning the average cost of a wedding in Hong Kong, Xinhua reported.
The results showed that the average cost of a wedding in 2019 was HK$369,166 ($47,091), up 2 percent from 2018. Wedding banquets were the most costly part of a wedding averaging HK$185,389, up 4 percent from 2018. Rings and jewelry, cost an average of HK$72,328 per couple; HK$38,680 was the average cost of a honeymoon; and wedding photography cost an average of HK$24,147.
According to statistics provided by the Hong Kong government, there were about 49,300 marriages in the city in 2018, down 5 percent year-on-year.
