Dressing up the wedding

Lu Wenbin's miniature bridal gowns and men's morning suits make a fabulous addition to the wedding reception table and a charming keepsake. Photo provided to Shanghai star

Lu's mother-in-law, a veteran dressmaker in her 70s, was appointed "chief of sample production". She selected the fabric, lace, and accessories all sourced locally, sketched the first drafts and then proceeded to produce the miniature suits and gowns. They were all as detailed as the man-sized versions.

"The little bridal outfit is like a real gown with a zip at the back, and it is cut to fit the bottle perfectly."

One of Lu's friends grabbed these first samples as soon as they were made and presented them as gifts to a pair of newlyweds. They were greeted with great delight, and the project was given the thumbs-up.

Lu and his team created 13 styles of wedding gowns in the next six months. Some are crinoline dresses with layers of lace and others have a more simple but elegant outline.

"I look at the curve of the bottleneck and the flare of the wine bottle like the figure of a woman," Lu says. "But the challenge is, it is still a different shape."

The solution was to add crowns and veils to make the bottle look taller, which adds a more bridal element.

Lu rejected six versions of the crown before he finally found what he had in mind.

It should fit the bottle and its curves and every gem had to be flawless, he says.