CRI听力: Wedding Ceremony Peak Comes During the National Day Holiday

The coming National Day holiday is definitely a golden week for many couples who plan to get married during this time. But too many wedding receptions booked during the holiday period can cause problems for brides and grooms as well as their friends. Our reporter Li Dong has the details.

Reporter: Many people stopped during a random interview on a street in Beijing say they have already received more than one invitation from a colleague or friend to attend their wedding during the National Day holiday period.

"Three of my friends are going to get married during the National Day holiday."(www.hXen.com)
But the joy of celebration comes with pressure. How much "gift money" to give each couple is a major concern.

"My salary is only several hundred yuan. I got four invitation cards. 200 yuan for each couple will be 800 yuan. But I have still decided to give the gift money."
Some say they are forced to start saving gift money a few months before the peak wedding season.

"I need to save some money for the National Day holiday wedding peak. Spending so much on gift money means my whole month's salary is gone."
While some feel pressure about how much money they can and should give to a couple, some brides and bridegrooms say they are worried about booking their wedding dinners.
Because many couples want to have their wedding receptions during the National Day holiday, it is difficult for them to book their wedding dinners at restaurants and hotels. One bridegroom says:

"We booked the wedding dinner half a year ago. And without my friend's help, we could not have done so."

In Beijing, booking wedding dinners has become virtually impossible during the holiday period. One hotel employee says:

"Wedding dinners during the National Holiday were already booked by the end of last year."

The scarcity of venues for wedding dinners has created a business opportunity for those who reserve times for wedding receptions at restaurants and hotels during the holiday, then inflate the prices they charge to couples by at least 1,000 to 2,000 yuan.

For China Drive, I am Li Dong.