MARRIAGE-RELATED industries such as wedding photography and ceremony services pluck an average of 125,000 yuan (US$16,000) from the pockets of each newlywed couple or their parents, more than the pair make in a year, yesterday's Beijing Morning Post reported.

The newspaper cited a recent survey of the country's marriage-related industries. The survey of nearly 60,000 couples showed that more than 70 percent of the spending goes on durables such as furniture and home appliances.

The wedding itself - the ceremony, photography, wedding gowns, the honeymoon and jewelry - accounted for less than 20,000 yuan, 15.5 percent of the total, and analysts claim there is room for growth.

The wedding banquet accounted for the rest of the spending.

According to the survey, overall marriage spending reached a whopping 557,478 yuan because it often includes the purchase of an apartment and a car.

The sums involved are huge for newlyweds, as 86 percent of those interviewed earn less than 8,000 yuan a month.

Forty-seven percent of the newlyweds interviewed admitted that 20-60 percent of the marriage-related spending came from their parents, while a minority of 14 percent relied on their parents to stump up 80-100 percent of the cash.

Editor: Wing