(ECNS) -- A tidal wave of romance and marriage registrations swept China on Tuesday, as couples couldn't resist the phonetics of love. Spoken in Chinese, May 20 is (wǔ èr líng), which sounds like, "I love you".
As a celebration initiated by Chinese netizens, "I Love You Day" first gained popularity among college students who use the day to show their feelings of love and affection. Now the "cyber Valentine's Day" is emerging as a day of romance for more Chinese couples.
The day not only added extra significance to tying the knot but caused a rush at marriage registration offices.
According to Shanghai's Civil Affair Bureau, as of Monday afternoon, 1,185 couples had made online appointments to register on May 20.
Officers at the marriage registration agency told xinmin.cn that some couples who didn't make online appointments chose to wait at the agency early in the morning.
Several couples began to queue at 4:00 am for the registration, according to the officer.
Marriage registration offices in Sichuan province's Chengdu also witnessed the same trend on Tuesday.
Around 7:00 am on Tuesday, newssc.org saw over 100 people queued outside the marriage registration office in the city's Jijiang district, waiting for the agency to open.
Du, a 25-year-old bride-to-be, said she and her boyfriend arrived at the spot at 5:00 am.
The May wedding season also drives the demand for custom wedding services for young couples.
Yang Guangming, a post-90s man in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, hired a local wedding planner and arranged for a special wedding ceremony on Tuesday in a bar that was furnished as an elementary school classroom, featuring desks, chairs and a blackboard.
表白、示爱、秀恩爱 一年一度网络情人节又来袭
由于520这个数字的谐音与"我爱你"极其相似，5月20日被很多中国网民封为网络情人节。
“据说在每年5月20日，向自己的暗恋对象告白，就是做出‘我爱你一生一世’的许诺”、“对单身的童鞋们来说，520是个脱光的好时机。对恋爱的情侣来说，520是个向恋人表达心声的绝佳日子，520说爱你，为爱努力”……这几日网络上到处充盈着甜蜜气息，表白、示爱、秀恩爱。是的，一年一度的520表白日又驾到啦。
新民网记者一早在浦东婚登现场看到，凌晨四点多就有准新人排队等候办理登记，不到8点排队等候的准新人们已经近百对。
“一方面是‘520’日子讨口彩，另一方面也是明天不办理婚登，很多准新人转而选择今天。”民政部门这样解释今天的领证大军。
不仅是在上海，各地新人都选择在这一天扎堆领证。今日凌晨5点，25岁的杜女士和男朋友周先生便来到成都锦江区民政局婚姻登记处等候。他们是第一对到来的情侣，到登记处大门口时，保安都还在睡觉休息。凌晨6点，人开始多了起来，保安打开了大门，情侣们便排起了队。早上7点半，已经有近100人排队等候。
网络情人节的出现也使市面上的传统酒席婚礼也渐渐被个性婚礼取代。记者了解到，随着个性婚礼市场的需求大增，婚礼策划师开始走红。
90后杨广茗毕业才一年，今年打算在“520”这个特殊日子与女友结婚。求婚前夕杨广茗跑遍了广州城区几家大型酒店预订酒席。“好一点的5000~6000元一桌，对年轻人来说价格太贵。”他萌生了在朋友酒吧办婚礼的打算。
如何弥补没有豪华宴会的遗憾呢，杨广茗找到了南城一家个性婚礼策划中心。通过和策划师的沟通决定将婚礼布置成80后课堂怀旧风格。
绿色的桌椅、黑板还有小学时课堂墙壁上的宣传画……“所有预算在一起不过5万元，非常经济实惠。”杨广茗说。
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