When Family Can't Come: How to Invite Strangers to Your Beijing Wedding

Having strangers show up to your wedding may seem like a recipe for disaster, or a ploy to recreate a scene straight out of Wedding Crashers. But for Apryl Reagan, a singer and actress living in Beijing, inviting strangers to her wedding ceremony offered her the chance to have a celebration that truly blended Chinese and US cultural practices.

After realizing that her family wouldn't be able to attend the celebration in China due to COVID-19, Reagan invited her fellow countrymen from a WeChat group for young Americans to ensure that the celebration would have that signature American flair, blended with a bit of traditional Chinese style.

When asked about her decision to invite strangers, Reagan says that the choice was simple.

“Of course, a wedding is a great place to celebrate our love, but it's also just a great place to celebrate! And judging by the amount of energy these Americans brought to our group chat, they were guaranteed to make it a party," explains Reagan. "I also really wanted to give my new Chinese family this opportunity to see how Americans party! But even more than that, sometimes I am afraid they see me as ‘America.’ Since they have never met another American, I worry that anything I do will be seen as what ‘all Americans do.’ So, I also wanted them to be able to have a chance to be around Americans other than me, meanwhile experiencing first-hand some of the cultural differences between an American wedding and a Chinese wedding.”

So, in line with the bride’s wishes, on Jun 28, friends, family, and even strangers gathered to celebrate the wedding of Ma Yinliang and Apryl Reagan at the Palace International Hotel in Beijing. The bilingual ceremony in the capital was the first of two wedding ceremonies, with the second taking place in the groom’s hometown in northeast China.

Two tables were reserved for members of the Americans WeChat group. As guests arrived, many shook hands and laughed while sharing their first impressions of one another after interacting solely through the WeChat group for years.

Ismael Milligan jumped at the chance to attend the ceremony, despite never meeting the bride in person until the big day. When asked about his experience, Milligan says “Apryl’s wedding is a prime example of why life as a foreigner in Beijing is so special. We came as a group of strangers and left as a group of friends. To share moments like that together, in this country, with those people, will be a memory I will cherish for a long time. It will be the story I tell when people ask me why I love to live here.”

2020 has been a challenging year for many foreigners in China, as most were forced to choose between staying for the careers and lives they had built here or following the droves of individuals choosing to repatriate. Despite the year’s Covid fears and border closures, however, Ma and Reagan kept their hearts open to love. At the ceremony, the maid of honor noted in her remarks that their whirlwind romance inspired many friends present who hoped to one day build a partnership on the same foundation of care and respect. In a touching speech by the groom, he thanked the bride for choosing to love him and vowed to work hard to support and cherish her for the rest of their days.

Throughout the wedding, the bride and groom both honored their parents for their role in encouraging the couple. Ma's mother – who was in attendance – welcomed Reagan into her family wholeheartedly and reiterated that she will now always have a home and family in China. Her warm words resonated with the expat attendees, many of whom have not been able to visit their motherlands for about 18 months. Meanwhile, Reagan's family, who were unable to be at the wedding due to visa and travel restrictions, attended via video call, and the maid of honor delivered a heartfelt speech on their behalf.

As the wedding feast began, the bride and groom sang love songs to one another. Reagan, showing off her years of experience and confidence on stage, received standing ovations for her renditions of “My Heart Will Go On” and “I Will Always Love You.” The groom and bride then made the rounds, thanking each guest for attending. Incidentally, some were meeting the couple in real life for the first time.

The jubilant energy continued after dinner as many international guests showed off traditional group dances such as the “Macarena” and “Cha Cha Slide,” much to the delight of the locals. Friends of the groom later sang Chinese music earning boisterous rounds of applause from all. The attendees, while not sharing a common mother tongue or culture, were unified by the spirit of celebration and excitement surrounding the union of Apryl Reagan and Ma Yinliang.

READ: Beijing Bunker: Another Postponed Wedding and the Calming Company of a Rescue Dog

Images courtesy of Jovana Vukovic Marshall (@vukovicmarshall.weddings)