Newlyweds in Guangzhou spend an average of 130,000 yuan (US$16,250) on tying the knot.

Guangzhou came second in wedding and marriage expenditure in the country following Shanghai, where couples spent an average of 187,000 yuan (US$23,375) on marriage last year.

In addition to their wedding banquets, the new couples also have to shell out on jewellery, wedding outfits, the honeymoon and wedding photos.

Last year alone, more than 7.7 billion yuan (US$962.5 million) was spent on weddings by a total of 59,659 couples in Guangzhou.