More than 130,000 couples in Beijing will get married this year, and they will spend about 3 billion yuan (US$375 million) in related services, according to the national wedding service committee.

Grand banquet celebration charges, bills for wedding rings, dressings, souvenir pictures and honeymoon trips attribute to the high expenditure, China Daily quotes Shi Kangning, secretary-general of the National Committee of Wedding Service Industry, as saying on Friday.

"Children of the baby boomers, born in mid-1950s, are now in their 20s. They are ready to get married, creating a huge market for the wedding service industry," Shi said.

In Beijing, the average cost for a wedding ceremony is about 80,000 yuan, excluding bills for rings, dressing and trips.

And, many young people prefer to arrange and design their ceremony in a special, unique and unforgettable way by the involvement of wedding companies.

More than 200 companies have registered at Beijing Municipal Administration of Industry and Commerce as professional wedding service providers.

It is estimated that 10 million couples are expected to get married this year in China.

Besides, the Year of the Dog this year is seen by many Chinese as a golden period to tie the knot.

"Our schedule is tight till January next year," said Tan Jun, manager of Jinyuangu, a Beijing-based wedding company.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2006)