Big day looms, and the world is their stage

For Chinese wedding couples, there is more than one golden moment

A gigantic, generously framed photo hanging on the wall may be the most important decoration you will see in the home of a Chinese newlywed. And if a Chinese person tells you he or she is about to marry, social etiquette will be satisfied if you instantly ask if you can see the wedding photos.

Yes, see the photos, for in China most wedding photos are taken as much as a couple of months before the nuptials, rather than on the big day. These photos will not be just tender records for posterity, but more immediately will be must-have elements in invitations, posters and big screens displayed at the ceremony. And of course, bland will not do; extreme glamour is the order of the day, and for the photo shoot bride and groom will don exotic clothes the likes of which they are never likely to don again.