In an alarming new trend, professional bridesmaids are being hired by numerous wedding-planning firms in China to protect the safety of the bride’s real friends.
Being a bridesmaid in China comes at a price far greater than the pressure of organising a good hens or surviving a bridezilla – it could even cost them their life.
Concern over traditional bridesmaid customs in China was raised when a bridesmaid died as a result of drinking too much and choking on her own vomit in September.
She was pressured into drinking on behalf of the bride, a common practice in some regions.
Yang Hu, Senior Researcher, Department of Sociology, University of Essex, writes in The Independent:
“This is far from an isolated instance. From the grassroots to renowned celebrities, Chinese bridesmaids are also vulnerable to verbal harassment, and physical and sexual abuse. In many cases, bridesmaids are unwillingly involved in sexual stunts designed for the newlyweds. In extreme cases, some are stripped of their clothes and molested, or attacked.”
It’s thought some women don’t even report incidents of abuse, as they may feel it ‘sullies’ them in some way.
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