1,810 couples tie the knot on '520'

Again, it was the special day for lovebirds to flock to the marriage registries to exchange their vows.

A total of 1,810 couples tied the knot in Shenzhen on Saturday, or May 20, with the number 520 sounding like “I love you” in Mandarin. The number was higher than that of Valentine’s Day this year, which recorded 1,211 wedding registrations, data from the city’s civil affairs bureau showed.

Couples wait to obtain marriage certificates at the marriage registry in Guangming Science City, Guangming District, on Saturday.  Photo from Guangming Convergence Media Center

All marriage registries across the city remained open although the special day was Saturday. According to the bureau, marriage registration reservations for the day were fully booked soon after reservations were available.

Additional quotas had been added thrice to meet the demands, and all spots were quickly snatched up, the bureau said.

At around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, many couples were already seen queuing up at the entrance of the marriage registry in Xiangmi Park, Futian District.

Some said in order to obtain marriage certificates on the day, they had been geared up for the “reservation scramble” 15 days in advance. Some said they even “got up in the middle of the night to snatch a spot.”

According to a bride surnamed Lin, she and her husband have been in love for nearly four years, and it was at Xiangmi Park that they held hands for the first time.

“It was agreed at that time that we would also come here to obtain the marriage certificate. Today, we have fulfilled our promise,” Lin said.

A scene at the collective certification ceremony held in IBC Mall in Luohu District on Saturday. Photo from DT News

To tackle a surge in marriage registrations on the day, marriage registries in Nanshan, Luohu, Bao’an and Yantian districts had taken multiple measures to ensure a smooth registration process and provide thoughtful services for couples.

The Nanshan District Civil Affairs Bureau specifically prepared festive items for each newlywed couple, wishing them a happy marriage and family life.

The Luohu marriage registry organized a collective certification ceremony and a counseling lecture for the newlyweds.