On September 18, 2024, Nathan and I officially got married at the British Embassy in Beijing. It was a beautiful sunny day shared with four of our close friends, followed by an amazing trip to the Great Wall.
Looking back on my time in China I can’t help but feel so amazed and grateful. I first moved to China in 2015 to a small town in Hunan Province called Hengyang. I planned to stay for one year – and then one year became two, which became three… And now here I am, 9 years later still living in China with two cats and a British husband in Beijing!
Note: This article was edited on September 19, 2025 to update details from both our weddings in Beijing and the UK.
Getting Married as an Expat Couple Abroad
As an American-British couple living abroad, we had several options to consider when it came to tying the knot—whether to marry in the US, UK, or another country. For many expat couples like us, there are quite a few factors to consider, such as documents, spousal visas, timelines, and legal processes.
This led to the big question: Can two foreigners get married in China? Maybe! Let me explain.
According to the China Civil Affairs office, as of April 1, 2019, two foreigners are not allowed to register their marriage at Civil Affairs offices in China (marriages between a foreigner and Chinese national are still permitted.)
However – this does not mean it’s hopeless! There are other options for two foreigners living in China looking to get married, one of which is getting married through your embassy. Fortunately, the British Embassy in Beijing was one of the few embassies that holds marriage ceremonies for its citizens and their partners abroad (the American Embassy, however, does not offer this service).
Living in China with our work visas made the process surprisingly simpler than if we had decided to get married in either the US or UK. After submitting a list of required documents, we set our notice of marriage and requested our wedding date. The British Embassy typically holds these ceremonies on Wednesdays, and once the paperwork was in order, everything was set in motion (read more about the process here: How Expats Can Get Married at the UK Embassy in China).
With everything successfully submitted, they set our appointment time for 11:30 AM on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. (It was originally 11:00am, however they emailed once asking us to change it.) They usually have these ceremonies on Wednesdays, and we were able to submit a request for a date, but it was not guaranteed we would get this date.
The Wedding Day Process
The morning of the ceremony I had my hair and makeup done by the Catherine de France Hair Salon in Beijing. The team did a wonderful job helping me feel prepared and beautiful on the day!
Afterwards we arrived outside the British Embassy around 11:15 AM, gathering with our friends before being ushered inside. The ceremony was held at the Ambassador’s residence, a place that regularly hosts events and gatherings. They were hosting an event that night, so even had extra decorations and a giant British flag above the entrance that usually they do not.
We were led to a small, cozy room with couches and comfortable seating. Two embassy staff members guided us through the process and explained what to expect. Since we had prepared our own vows, they made sure to include that in the ceremony. Before everything began, we signed a registry to verify our personal details were accurate.
The ceremony itself was simple but so personal, lasting about 30 minutes, including time for photographs.
We wrote our own vows for each other and read them to each other during the ceremony. We had a ring exchange, and then signed our official certificates before heading off to the Great Wall. It was so meaningful and special.
Our wedding at the British Embassy in Beijing was everything we could have hoped for and more. It marked the start of a new chapter in our lives, and it’s a day we will cherish forever. The mix of tradition, love, and the special setting made it truly unforgettable.
We want to give a big thank you to our friends and families for their outpouring of love and messages for us on this day. While we couldn’t celebrate with everyone on this day, we certainly felt them here with us and we plan to have another celebration in the future.
Thank you for all the love and support as we start our adventure together!
