Groom's 'no gifts' wedding invite went viral online. 100 strangers actually showed up

Most people avoid having strangers at their wedding, but not Wuhan resident Dai Biao. The 26-year-old groom took to social media on September 19 to invite strangers to his wedding. He presumed around 20 people might respond to his wedding invitation. But 24 hours later, his video went viral. Hundreds of netizens flooded the comment section asking to attend. But what stood out most was Biao's specific request in the invitation. The unusual celebration drew fresh attention after VietNamNet reported on it on October 12, 2026.

'No gifts, please'

Netizens asked Biao to create a Douyin group chat so people could register for the wedding. He took them up on their suggestion, and a whopping 2,000 participants joined the group. People were drawn in by Biao's invitation: "No need for wedding gifts, just come and celebrate," he said. When Biao's family saw the response, they were excited, but also worried about the accommodation. They had to hold a lottery to decide which of the netizens would attend. Despite the overwhelming response, Dai Biao was worried they would not actually attend.

On October 6, more than 100 online guests arrived at his wedding. People traveled from different parts of the country to witness Dai Biao and Lei Siyi's union. Some even canceled plans they had made earlier to go to the wedding. It was such a success that they had to add two extra tables, more than planned. They borrowed chairs from their neighbors and placed tables in the house next door.

Guests from all over China

Netizens who responded to Biao's invitation made the effort to travel multiple routes from Guangxi to Wuhan. Wu Siwei, one of the guests, had initially planned to go on a road trip to Yunnan. He drove 12 hours to get to Biao's wedding instead. "When I saw this invitation video, I thought it was a very interesting opportunity to experience local customs, so I decided to come and participate." Wan Yifan, a 17-year-old guest from Xiangyang City, also made the trip. "It's truly a wonderful coincidence. Their wedding was scheduled for the 6th, and the day after the wedding was my 18th birthday. Two joyous occasions happening so close together—this rare coincidence makes me feel especially meaningful," Yifan added.

Online friends

Even though people (19%) hate sitting next to strangers at a wedding, as per WeddingWire's 2019 survey, Dai Biao's wedding turned strangers into friends. Biao also clarified that the whole reason he invited strangers was not to gain attention. A 2022 Gallup survey found that 38% of Americans used social media to interact with others at least once or more than once in a day in the previous seven days, while another 30% did so once or a few times during that period. "There's no need for excessive explanation; I'm not putting on a show. I started live streaming just to make more friends," he stated. Biao's generous invitation turned his internet friends into real-life friendships.

Future plans

Even though Biao was clear that they did not have to bring any wedding gifts, netizens arrived with red envelopes filled with money. Others brought cosmetics, combs, and a banner signed by all the online guests. Biao hopes to organize another event in the future, be it hiking or a charity event, so that he and his new friends can get together again. Biao concluded, "I was very tired, but I was also very moved."

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