Forget the Mao suits of a generation ago. Actually, forget about any clothes at all. Naked wedding photos are the hot new trend among young couples in once deeply conservative China. Even in Anhui, a largely rural province in the east, many newly-weds are having their pictures taken in the nude, to the fury of their parents' generation.
"Some photo studios are just going too far. They allow young women to have their photos taken in bikinis or with nothing on at all", said an irate woman from the Anhui capital. "I hope the authorities will do something". She had just found out that her daughter had taken two sets of wedding photos, one to show the family, and another considerably more intimate one for her private collection. And her daughter isn't alone, it appears nude wedding photos is a growing trend that began in the south of China and has gradually spreaded to the rest of the country.
Some in the local media seemed to think that the photos are a welcome renewal to the stale unchanging traditions of the wedding photo. This attitude is now prevalent even in north-west China's proud ancient capital to the terracotta soldiers.
For example, a local evening newscast did a random check of five photo studios in that area, and found that all of them would be willing to take nude photos of soon-to-be-married couples. "Most of the people who come here to have the bold, naked photos taken are young, trendy and unconventional", said a studio owner. He did mention that, in most cases, the photos were carefully taken to avoid displaying full-frontal nudity.
News Vault were able to get our hands on a couple of the tamer photos from a shoot below.