The Ministry of Civil Affairs on Tuesday set up a committee to regulate China's wedding service market.

The Wedding Service Committee of the China Social Work Association aims to regulate products and services provided by wedding companies and train wedding service employees.

The wedding service market involves over 40 industries like jewelry, hairdressing, photography, hotel and tourism, which created an annual market worth 250 billion yuan (30.5 billion US dollars) in China, said Xu Liugen, deputy president of the association.

According to a recent survey in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou cities, every new couple bought 5,820 yuan worth of jewelry on average. Figures from the ministry show nearly 10 million couples who married in the country a year would like to spend 31 percent of their savings on their marriage.

Such a potential market needs to be regulated by the government to maintain its order and development, said Xu.

(China Daily November 19, 2003)