Tying the Knot without a Face Mask in China

Bride Chen Yaxuan walks by staff wearing masks during a wedding banquet in Beijing on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP)
Bride Chen Yaxuan walks by staff wearing masks during a wedding banquet in Beijing on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP)
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Tying the Knot without a Face Mask in China

Bride Chen Yaxuan walks by staff wearing masks during a wedding banquet in Beijing on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP)
Bride Chen Yaxuan walks by staff wearing masks during a wedding banquet in Beijing on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP)

Lovebirds in China are embracing a sense of normalcy as the COVID pandemic appears to be under control in the country where it was first detected.

Chen Yaxuan and Dou Di exchanged vows in front of more than 500 guests in an unmasked wedding on Dec. 12 — a day called “double twelve” and considered auspicious timing.

Servers wore masks, but guests were not required to. They just had to show a green health code, showing they had only been in low-risk areas and not tested positive in the previous 14 days.

A year into the pandemic, most people feel the situation is under control if not back to normal. The National Health Commission reported just 27 new cases on Dec. 28, a dramatic decrease from China’s peak.

The first half of 2020 was a nightmare for the multibillion-dollar wedding industry. Many couples were forced to postpone their nuptials after large gatherings and events were banned.

It wasn’t until late April that a turning point appeared.

Those who had to push back their weddings helped revitalize the industry when restrictions were lifted, keeping the shrinkage of market below 6% in 2020, according to Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of iiMedia Research, an industry analysis firm in Guangzhou in southern China.

Ning Jingyu, the wedding planner for Chen and Dou, believes the future is bright. Her studio has organized 33 weddings in the second half of 2020, down 50% from the same period the previous year.

“The business is not as good as it was the same time last year, but I think it’s on an uptrend, considering the amount of consultancy and clients’ demand for weddings,” she said.

On a recent morning, at least seven couples showed up for photo shoots near the Forbidden City, a historic area in Beijing popular for wedding photos, even in freezing temperatures.

They included Dong Yangfeng and Wang Sai, both 27 years old. The computer science professionals had to cancel their original wedding plans because of the pandemic.

Worried that the pandemic might return, they decided to hold their nuptials as soon as possible. Dong said though that what their wedding will look like depends on the frequently changing virus rules.

“If the national policies allow, we surely want to have a nice wedding,” he said. “But if the policies don’t allow or if there’s a reemergence of the pandemic, we’ll make it simple.”



Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
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Kate, Princess of Wales, to Present Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon

Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Windsor, England, Tuesday July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)

Kate, the Princess of Wales, is set to present the trophy to the winner of the women's singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday after opting not to attend the match last year while she was recovering from cancer.

The All England Club said Kate, the wife of Prince William, will be back in the Royal Box on Center Court for the match between eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 13 Amanda Anisimova. She will then take part in the on-court trophy presentation, The AP news reported.

Kate has been the patron of the All England Club since 2016 and has regularly attended the men's and women's finals. However, she was not there when Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini for the women's title last year.

She did hand the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz after his victory over Novak Djokovic in the men's final, when she made only her second public appearance since announcing she was diagnosed with cancer.

She has been gradually returning to public duties since since announcing last fall that she had completed chemotherapy, and took part in welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Britain this week.