9 November 2025
Jumeirah Hotel Ballroom, Guangzhou Zhujiang New City,
China
Ceremony 4.30pm, Banquet 6.30pm. Dancing to follow.
Musically Inclined? We’re bringing our own sound system and dj gear and we’d love you to be part of an "open decks" after elders have gone home. (Talk to Dan for details)
Dan and Cindy met in January 2020 and were immediately separated by COVID–19 when Cindy got trapped in China. Luckily, she escaped to Hong Kong by boat a few days later. A long transit and flight later, was back by Dan’s side, where she stayed until the world restarted in July.
Dan and Cindy spent lockdown swimming, shucking oysters, and picnicking by the ocean. He won her over by making tacos and teaching her to drive, and she won him over by adding adventure to their lives and being a delightful person.
Two years passed, and once again, Cindy wandered away from Dan by moving to Chicago for grad school. He was pretty sure about the relationship, but needed to make sure Chicago was an okay place to live before he took the leap. So, they spent 6 months, 2 trans-Pacific trips, and lots of FaceTime calls apart before he joined her.
They’ve navigated Ikea trips; many, many flight hours; and Cindy endlessly asking to get some cats to get to this point: excited to celebrate their marriage with you.
We understand that travelling to China may sound challenging to non-Chinese speakers, so let us put you at ease.
Guangzhou is the biggest Chinese city you’ve never heard of (and also where Cindy was born)! A sub-tropical city 1.5 hours away from Hong Kong by high speed rail, it’s well known in China as a good food mecca, a tech hub, and, surprisingly, a home of Chinese techno music. (Ask Dan, not Cindy, about the music.)
The hotel is centrally located in Zhujiang New City, walking distance to some of Guangzhou’s most famous sites including Canton Tower, the Guangzhou Opera House, some awesome East-meets-West architecture, and incredibly big shopping centres stocked with local and global brands. You will also have easy access to the very clean and safe metro system that connects you to the more historical parts of the city.
Want to explore Guangzhou with new and old friends?
Cindy’s family will be coordinating some programming on Nov 10 and 11 to explore Guangzhou with other wedding guests.
Details of our tourist programming are currently TBD but could include visits to notable locations in Guangzhou like ancestral Chen Clan Academy for some interesting Chinese architecture and history, Beijing Road street food market for some tasty bites or a trip down mighty Zhu Jiang/Pearl River.
For those who aren’t sure yet - say yes in the RSVP, you will have opportunities to withdraw at a later point!
You can reach Guangzhou via direct flight from major Australian and US (West Coast) cities. The airport is a China Southern hub, which is a great quality airline that codeshares with One World airlines.
You may also choose to arrive in Guangzhou from other Chinese cities. The closest major transport hub will be Hong Kong - and you can get to Guangzhou via high speed rail (recommended), flight (less recommended), bus (not recommended) and ferry (not recommended).
The high speed rail system is going to be your best bet for South China travel, but if you are looking to travel further to Shanghai, Beijing or Chongqing, we’d recommend a flight.
We will be coordinating a block of rooms at the Jumeirah Hotel (gorgeous rooms which begin at level 50 for city views) for wedding guests with an approximate 20% discount. This will be available closer to the date.
You’re more than welcome to book any other hotels, too. There are many in the Zhujiang New City area. Chinese hotels are generally more luxurious than their Australian or US counterparts, so 3 and 4 star hotels will be quite nice.
In cities you’ll be ok, but be careful of prices that seem too good to be true in smaller towns.
Being vegetarian in China is generally not a problem if you are in a major city. You may struggle in smaller towns, as vegetable dishes often will be cooked with animal stock or mince for flavour.
Common allergies are generally not a problem in China. Make sure you clearly communicate either through images of the allergen or a translation with the restaurant.
Regarding nut allergies in particular - Chinese foods (particularly saucier and soupier dishes) can often contain peanuts, so you should always check to be safe.
If you are missing home, it will be pretty easy to get Western food, but not other cuisines in major cities.
Most payments in China happen through WeChat Pay or AliPay mobile apps. As a foreigner, you can download the tourist version of WeChat Pay which can be linked to your foreign credit card. This will give you the most options in China.
Alternatively, most major stores can accept Visa & Mastercard, and 90% of vendors will be able to accommodate cash payments.
Guangzhou is a subtropical city on a river delta. This means that there can be hot days in November, but temperatures can drop quickly. Plan to bring summery clothing with light jackets or wind breakers.
November is not generally a rainy season.
China has recently relaxed their visa requirements for many countries including Australia and the US. For tourism and transit purposes, Australians can spend 30 days and Americans can spend 10 days in China without a visa.
If you do need a visa, Chinese visas are generally very simple to get from specific visa offices in most major US cities. They generally involve filling out a long but simple form, paying a small fee and can be processed within a week. We recommend giving yourself time for any remediation (e.g., missed questions, additional documents) needed.
You’ll be okay as an English speaker in major cities. Be prepared to point and mime. You may also want to have some terms pre-translated in a notes app just in case (e.g., name of your hotel, your allergies, where’s the toilet, etc.)
Also, bring travel packs of tissues with you - like in France, most public toilets won’t supply toilet paper and you’ll need to bring your own. In older areas, the majority of toilets will be squat toilets.
Please do not buy us gifts! Your presence at our wedding is the gift!
Please! Hanfu are quite flattering, and pretty cheap if you buy it online from websites like Nuwa Hanfu, Amazon or Etsy. Try to stick to the formal dress code through your fabric choices.
Yes, please avoid wearing white or bright red, as these are the Western and Chinese bridal colours.
Banquets are generally how celebratory meals are served in China. You will be seated at a table of up to 10 people with options of Standard or Vegetarian catering. Standard will include meat and seafood, while Vegetarian will mostly be soy and mushroom products.
If your party has both vegetarians and meat-eaters, you can choose to all sit at a Vegetarian table (and nab tasty looking bites from the next table) or be split and make some new friends.
Children under 12 y/o don’t need separate RSVPs. Please just let one of us know so we can add chairs to your table.
Will there be chances to do group activities with fun guests I meet at your wedding?
We think it could be fun to create a WeChat group of our friends who will get along for fun spa days, karaoke or different activities! Please indicate if it’s something you’d be interested in on the RSVP form!
Yes. If you’re using a SIM card on roaming, you won’t have trouble accessing any AUS/US websites. If you’re planning to rely on a Chinese SIM card or wi-fi, you may want to get a VPN (or use a work one!). Note that VPNs can be a little unreliable so do your research. A good general rule of thumb is that Apple services are completely available, Google & Meta services are not.
No, this will be the only celebration we throw.
Do you have any unanswered questions? Message Dan or Cindy!