Five couples dressed in wedding attire arrived at Longlin Dam in Dingzhai township, Shangyu district, Shaoxing, on Sept 15. There, they held a simple yet heartfelt group wedding ceremony by the riverside.

Couples have a group wedding ceremony in Shangyu, Shaoxing. [Photo/Wang Xiaotian for Tide News]

The event aimed to promote modern marriage customs and celebrate the everyday heroes of urban life. On a grassy lawn, the couples, who are delivery men and women, exchanged vows, marking a moment of warmth and recognition for those who spend their days navigating the city streets.

"I'm from Anhui and deliver parcels in Songxia subdistrict," said Li Xintong, a courier for SF Express. He and his bride, Xia Minsi, met through friends and built their relationship in Shangyu. "This special wedding made us feel at home, even far from our hometown," he said.

After five years of dating, the couple decided to marry and were among the first to sign up when they heard about the group ceremony.

The wedding was rich in symbolic gestures. The rings were passed from guest to guest, each adding a blessing. Local publicity departments from Shaoxing and Shangyu jointly uncorked a jar of 18-year-old yellow rice wine to toast the couples.

Couples have a group wedding ceremony in Shangyu, Shaoxing. [Photo/Wang Xiaotian for Tide News]

In place of a traditional banquet, the reception featured open-air food stalls showcasing Shaoxing's rich culinary heritage.

A representative from the Shaoxing publicity department described the event as an innovative pilot for wedding customs reform: "No extravagant dowries, no lavish displays — just genuine emotion and deep cultural roots. For these new residents of Shangyu, who work tirelessly in the city's alleys and lanes, this wedding is a well-deserved tribute."