Traditionally, a bridesmaid’s job is to assist and accompany the bride throughout her big day. Now, some bridesmaids are made to perform unnecessary tasks for guests. (Photo : Getty Images)
Newlyweds have always been subjected to horseplay on their wedding night--a long tradition in China--but bridesmaids have recently been targeted as well, scaring off women who want to become a part of their friend or family's bridal party, China Daily reported.
Traditionally, a bridesmaid's job is to assist and accompany the bride throughout her big day. Now, some bridesmaids are made to perform unnecessary tasks for guests. In most extreme cases, some were even asked to take their clothes off in front of people.
A woman called Liu Fei (not her real name) from Hengsui, Hebei Province, got married earlier this year and saw firsthand what her bridesmaids had to go through.
According to Liu, a couple of male guests manhandled two of her bridesmaids and threw them on the bed in the bridal chamber. In a separate wedding, Liu also saw a group of people dragging the bridesmaids into a bedroom to rip off their gowns.
"Fortunately they didn't do it as the bridesmaids weren't married," said Liu in an interview with China Daily.
In an extreme case back in 2013, a 16-year-old bridesmaid in Tai'an, Shandong Province, had her gown ripped off with several men touching her body. Six of the men were sentenced to prison.
Due to fear, women invited to become bridesmaids often refuse. Instead of inviting their female friends and family members, brides in Hengshui go to wedding management companies and hire women to be bridemaids.
Considered as a part-time job by most women, this kind of work usually attracts college students, and sometimes, prostitutes and escorts.
Women hired to be bridesmaids usually earn 300 to 1,000 yuan, said a local wedding dresser.
Should the bride hire women to stand up as her bridesmaids, wedding guests are told beforehand if the bridesmaids are "real" or "professional." If they were hired, the horseplay will be harder.
"Sometimes the games are too crazy, even hired bridesmaids feel hurt. They sometimes leave without even taking the money, or asked for double price after the wedding," said Liu, a Hengshui local.
