guests as reporters and the couple as spokespeople.

Although many couples continue to plan an Olympic themed wedding, others have abandoned the idea in favor of something more traditional.

"Of course the Olympic Games will be much more populous than our wedding. What if too few guests come to the wedding ceremony? It would be a little embarrassing," said bride-to-be Ximen Hong.

Another couple have postponed their wedding until September 7, which is August 8 in the Chinese lunar calendar. "My wife and I think that it will be better to take the whole month to enjoy the Olympic Games," said the future groom.

The wedding delay was welcome news for Cheng Ping, who will be the bride's maid of honor. She wanted to watch games at home. "Many hotels have a TV service so guests can watch the Games during the wedding ceremony, but as a maid of honor, I'm not allowed to be distracted," she said.

Many wedding companies, hopeful of a bumper wedding period, have been disappointed. "Many weddings are now being simplified, as guests want to rush home for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games," said the manger of a Hyatt hotel in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province.

Hotel managers have also been surprised at the lack of weddings. "We thought it would be a busy time for weddings on August 8, but it turned out just the opposite," said the manger.

Restrictions imposed in the run-up to the Olympics have already begun to pose problems for couples that want to marry on August 8. Since July 20, Beijing has introduced "odd-even" traffic restrictions to help ease congestion and reduce pollution during the Olympics and Paralympics, with no exception for the wedding cars.

"Many wedding planners are not willing to take orders during the Olympic season as there might be too many traffic uncertainties," said a source at a Beijing-based wedding company.

An influx of tourists and a hike in hotel prices for the Olympics could also prove troublesome for wedding guests coming to Beijing.