导读:近二十年里，中国社会发生了翻天覆地的变化，不仅社会经济发生了巨变，人们的思想、风俗也发生了改变。
Meng He, a photographer from Jinzhou, North China’s Hebei province, started to record weddings by chance when he was asked to help out at his friend’s marriage in 1993. Over the past two decades, Meng has continued to record one of the happiest moments in his friends’ lives. When looking at the photos one not only notices the changes in Chinese wedding over the years, but also discovers every detail that captures the uniqueness of that period.
孟鹤是一名摄影师，来自河北锦州，1993年一个很偶然的机会他被朋友叫去在婚礼上帮忙，自那以后他便开始收集中国人的婚礼照片。在过去二十多年里，孟鹤不断记录下朋友们一个又一个人生中最快乐的时刻。看着这些照片，人们不仅仅会注意到这些年里中国婚礼的变化，还会发现定格在这一独一无二时刻中的每一个细节。
Wedding of Lyu Jianshen, a friend of Meng He, on Dec 2, 1993. this was the first wedding photo Meng took after borrowing a camera. Grooms in rural areas at that time usually used bicycles to pick up brides. The groom in this photo pushes a bike borrowed from his neighbor. The owner of the bike said the cycle was never idle as relatives and friends kept borrowing it for their weddings.
这张照片拍摄于1993年12月2日，是孟鹤朋友李连胜（音）的婚礼。这是孟鹤借来相机之后拍摄的第一张照片。当时农村地区的新郎一般用自行车去接亲。这张照片里的新郎推着一辆从邻居那里借来的自行车。据自行车主人表示称，这辆车自打买来之后从没闲着，因为亲戚朋友们经常借去结婚。
Wedding of Meng’s colleague Wang Bo’s son, Dec 11, 1994. Wedding gowns were not popular in counties. The photo was taken after Meng asked the couple to stand closer, but there is still an obvious distance between them.
这张照片拍摄于1994年12月11日，是孟鹤同事王波（音）的儿子的婚礼。当时结婚礼服在县里并不多见。这张照片是孟鹤叫新婚夫妇站近一点之后再拍的，但是可以看出两人之间仍然隔着明显的距离。
Meng’s colleague Wu Ying was driven in a red Santana to her wedding, Dec 1, 1996. Red Santanas and a few mini vans would steal the limelight of a wedding.
这张照片拍摄于1996年12月1日，孟鹤的同事吴英（音）被一辆红色桑塔纳送到了自己的婚礼现场。当时红色的桑塔纳轿车以及一些小型货车要比婚礼本身还要惹人关注。
The wedding of Meng’s colleague Zhang Qingguo’s daughter, Nov 1, 1997. Brides started to wear wedding gowns in counties around 1997.
这张照片拍摄于1997年11月1日，是孟鹤同事张庆国（音）的女儿的婚礼。1997年前后，县里的新娘开始穿结婚礼服。
Meng’s niece Wu Jing’s wedding, May 1998. She wore a white wedding gown and had her own makeup assistant.
这张照片拍摄于1998年5月份，是孟鹤的侄女吴静（音）的婚礼。她穿着白色的婚纱，还有专门的化妆助理。
The younger daughter of Meng’s neighbor Xiao Feng married a guy from a neighboring village. Meng felt sad when he attended the wedding in Nov 1999 after he saw the poor condition of the village. However, the picture has now completely changed with skyscrapers dotted all over the place and the couple, who have two daughters, run their own business.
孟鹤邻居萧峰（音）的小女儿嫁给了邻村一个男人。1999年参加这场婚礼时孟鹤觉得很难过，因为村里的情况实在是太差了。但是，现在照片里的地方已经完全变了，摩天大楼到处都是，而那对夫妻也有了两个女儿，经营着自己的事业。
The wedding of Meng’s colleague Zhao Yingjie’s daughter, May 2000. The couple rode in a vehicle that was offered free by a wedding photography studio. The competition among the studios was getting fierce.
这张照片拍摄于2000年5月份，是孟鹤同事赵英杰（音）女儿的婚礼。当时这对夫妻乘坐在由婚礼摄影工作室免费提供的汽车上。工作室之间的竞争越来越激烈了。
The wedding of Meng’s neighbor Peng Shengxiang’s daughter in 2003. The couple worked in Beijing but held their wedding ceremony back in their hometown.
这张照片拍摄于2003年，是孟鹤邻居彭胜祥（音）女儿的婚礼。这对夫妻在北京工作，但是婚礼却在他们家乡举行。
The face of mother-in-law was smeared with black ash during the wedding of Meng’s colleague Zhao Huisheng’s daughter, Dec, 2004. A lot of tricks were played on mothers-in-law in Meng’s hometown to make the atmosphere more cheerful.
这张照片拍摄于2004年12月，是孟鹤同事赵慧生（音）女儿的婚礼，婆婆的脸上被涂上了黑灰。在孟鹤的家乡，为了让婚礼气氛更加愉快，有很多戏弄新人母亲的花招。
