亂入婚禮市集 / Crashing a Wedding Fair

人們常說，婚姻是人生大事，情侶在進入婚姻前，有著大大小小需要煩惱的事情，而華人社會的婚禮籌備，通常相當繁瑣，因為婚姻不僅涉及新人本身，還需要考慮雙方家庭的需求、傳統禮俗和現代婚禮的設計與安排，假如有位專家，能夠指點迷津，是多麼美好的事情啊！

於是，大大小小的婚展就此產生，這幾年來好像越來越多了，這些展覽可以提供從婚紗攝影、喜餅婚戒、婚禮週邊、婚禮小物等周邊資訊，協助新人們找尋最符合自身需求產品，通常，我對這類的展覽是沒興趣的，因為沒需求，不過，某天，不小心走進去展場，我心裡想，直接掉頭走出去也尷尬，倒不如硬著頭皮逛逛看，搞不好還能發現甚麼好玩的事物。

當然，我認為，會來逛婚禮市集大多是準新人或是關係穩固的情侶，所以展場上多是成雙成對的男女，不過，我發現很多攤位都有男店員，而且店員都不是小鮮肉，多是穿著西裝的中年大叔，我看的都尷尬起來了，果然，我被中年大叔們搭訕了，真是奇妙，當然，他們會先問問看我的感情狀況或主要目的，話不投機的話，就快快結束話題。

全世界都面臨著少子化的問題，不過婚姻市場還是相當火熱，而一個夢幻婚禮是很多女生們的夢想，更是重中之重，據我觀察，雖然展場氣氛並不熱烈，但女生們都很投入，男生們大多四處張望，而種種華麗的婚禮周邊，如婚紗等，都要價不斐，從側面觀察展場男男女女的互動，也蠻好玩的。

People often say that marriage is one of life’s biggest milestones. Before tying the knot, couples have a lot to worry about, big and small. In traditional Chinese societies, wedding preparations are especially complicated—not only because of the couple’s own preferences but also due to the need to consider both families, traditional customs, and modern wedding designs and arrangements. Imagine how amazing it would be to have an expert to guide you through it all!

This is how wedding fairs started to emerge, and they seem to be getting more and more popular. These fairs provide a variety of resources, from wedding photography and cakes to rings, favors, and other wedding-related items, helping couples find what suits them best. Normally, I’m not interested in such fairs because I don’t have any need for them, but one day, I accidentally walked into one. I thought, turning around and leaving would be awkward, so I might as well take a look. Who knows? Maybe I’d discover something fun.

As expected, most people at the wedding fair were couples—either engaged or in stable relationships. But what caught my eye was that many booths were manned by male staff, and not just young, fresh-faced guys, but middle-aged men in suits. It was honestly a bit awkward to see. And yes, some of these middle-aged uncles approached me. It was a strange experience. They’d start by asking about my relationship status or what brought me there. If the conversation didn’t click, they’d quickly wrap it up.

Even though the world is grappling with low birth rates, the marriage industry is still thriving. A dream wedding is a priority for many women, something they’ve always longed for. From what I observed, while the atmosphere at the fair wasn’t exactly lively, the women were very engaged, while most men were just wandering around and looking at random things. Many of the glamorous wedding-related items, like wedding dresses, came with steep price tags. Watching the interactions between the couples at the fair from a distance turned out to be quite entertaining.

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