VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Traditional Chinese Wedding in a Modern City

Why a Hanfu wedding ?

A Hanfu wedding is a modern day celebration where the couples wear attire that is inspired by traditional clothing of China's Han ethnic group. Hanfu weddings have been a major revival in recent years, specially among younger generations where they are appreciating their heritage and have a desire to reconnect with cultural roots through fashion.¹

Based on Getty Images' VisualGPS research, weddings have been one of the highest needs to visualise, especially showcasing cultural weddings like Hanfu. With this, creator FanPro, who is based in China, proposed the idea of organising a Hanfu‑style wedding with a real couple: We thought we'd showcase the beauty of traditional attires whilst also showing the modern cityscapes would make an unique  shoot for this concept.

Real story of the bride and groom

Their shoot started with a bride choosing clothing in the morning. According to the creator, the bride was from the countryside and came to the city for university.

She met her groom in a train station, which was an unforgettable meeting. They did not exchange contact details then, but later fate intervened. The groom met the bride in a museum where she was working a few days later; this was how their story began.

Harmonising tradition and modernity

The shoot took place in  the modern Jianye district of Nanjing, representing today’s fast‑paced urban life, and the ancient Chaotian Palace, a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. According to the creator, this was to show the harmony of traditional clothing with modern culture.

"Through this shoot, I wanted to express how modern Chinese couples, especially those in their 30s, are finding new meanings in marriage—later, calmer and more self‑aware. Even as life becomes more urbanised, many still choose traditional attire and rituals like the Hanfu wedding to stay connected with their cultural roots. It’s not about recreating the past, but about harmony—how love can exist beautifully between tradition and modernity, between history and the present moment.", said creator FanPro.

“Jiaobei Wine” (交杯酒) is a traditional Chinese wedding ritual where the bride and groom each hold a cup of wine and cross their arms to drink from each other’s cup. It symbolises the union of two lives, mutual support and a lifelong bond between the couple. Historically known as “Hejin Wine” (合卺酒), this ritual continues to appear in modern Hanfu or traditional‑style weddings as a meaningful gesture of love and unity.²

FanPro truly represented this ritual with friends involved, from the drinking ceremony to the interactions with guests around the couple.

Variation and composition

The final thing I want to mention is the variation of this shoot and the commercially relevant as well as beautiful composition. With this kind of shoot where you follow a real story, it tends to look a bit editorial so it would be hard to use commercially.

FanPro did a great job capturing a true relationship, love and connection whilst making sure there's good composition, such as copy space to make it useful for various commercial purposes.

Sources
[1] Charming China
[2] NEWHANFU