Road to marriage in Japan⑤
Hello! Today I will talk about my wedding series. This is the last one about my wedding! I introduce my wedding day.
First episode ⇒ Road to marriage①
Second episode ⇒ Road to marriage②
Third episode ⇒ Road to marriage③
Fourth episode ⇒ Road to marriage④
My wedding flow is as shown below.
| 1 | Propose
(1 and a half years before the wedding ceremony) |
| 2 | Start to choose a wedding hall
(1 and a half years before the wedding ceremony) |
| 3 | Meet each parent
(1 year and 3 months before the wedding ceremony) |
| 4 | Decide on a wedding hall
(1 year and 2 months before the wedding ceremony) |
| 5 | Choose wedding dresses
(1 year and 2 months before the wedding ceremony. Then I decided 10 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 6 | Looking for an engagement ring
(1 year and a month before the wedding ceremony) |
| 7 | Yuino (a traditional Japanese ceremony) & meeting dinner party
(1 year before the wedding ceremony) |
| 8 | Search for a new house
(8 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 9 | Entry in a family register
(6 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 10 | Start to have a wedding ceremony meeting
(4 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 11 | Wedding photos in advance
(3 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 12 | Looking for wedding rings
(1 month before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 13 | The wedding day |
| 14 | Honeymoon
(3 months after the wedding ceremony. ) |
※ That is just in my case. Not in all Japanese cases.
Today I will talk about the table’s boldface, the wedding day, and honeymoon.
13 The wedding day
Wow! The day of the wedding finally had come!
It was 10 pm when after the party was over. Very long day, but I felt a quick day!
Before the wedding ceremony
My husband and I stayed at the hotel where we had the wedding the day before. I got up early in the morning and got ready for the wedding ceremony on that day. After wearing our wedding costume, my husband and I took wedding photos in the hotel and outside the hotel. It was embarrassing to take pictures outside, but some passerby said “congratulations” to us. Returning the hotel, we rehearsed our wedding ceremony and greeted each relative invited. I checked the floral decoration and wedding cake in the hall. It was very nice! It was like my image!
The wedding ceremony
Our wedding ceremony had started in the chapel inside the hotel. I was glad that many friends came! We exchanged each ring and signed a marriage certificate in front of our guests.
The wedding reception
After the ceremony, the wedding reception had started. In Japan, the general wedding reception is a sit-down style. The details of our wedding ceremony are below.
The greeting of bride and bridegroom
→The greeting of the guest of honor(each our company’s boss)
→Cake cutting ceremony
→Toast
→Enjoying the food and the chat
→Changing the dress
→Introduction profile of bride and bridegroom by a handmade movie
→Taking photos at each guest table
→My favorite friend’s speech
→reading the bride’s letter for parent & giving each parent the bouquet and the gift
→Closing speech by the bridegroom and his father
→Closing movie
→Seeing guests off
Then we took wedding photos with the colored dress outside the hotel for a wedding album.
These are just for my case. Some people have other programs such as the first bite of the wedding cake or the performance by friends.
I felt a very quick time! The wedding surrounded by many people -family, relatives, colleagues, and friends- made me happy! What I regretted was that I could not have eaten much as my dress was too tight. lol
After-party
We asked my friends for an after-party organizer. We planed our party with friends. In Japan, almost of after-parties are buffet-style, and the game such as bingo and quizzes is a typical event. We prepared for quizzes about the bride and bridegroom.
After the wedding reception, we went to another restaurant to hold the after-party with the dress and tuxedo by taxi. I invited friends, who could not invite to the wedding ceremony for the seating capacity of the hall, to the after-party. I enjoyed the party with many people!
The party finished at 10 PM. We were very tired… we went back to the hotel and got sleep(-.-)Zzz…
The important and happy day for us was over. The road to marriage took one and a half years. My husband and I experienced various events for marriage. I think my wedding story is a typical way just like a wedding magazine article.
14 Honeymoon
We went on honeymoon 3 months after our wedding day. Some couples go on honeymoon the next day of the wedding day, some couples don’t go on their honeymoon. The popular travel destination for Japanese couples is below.
・holiday resorts such as Hawaii, Maldives, Tahiti, Bali
・Europe (especially Italy and France)
・U.S
・Australia
We went to Europe (a few cities in Germany and France) for 10 days! It is difficult for many Japanese workers to take a long vacation, the honeymoon is valuable time. We enjoyed the European townscape and history that are very different from Japan. At that time we used a group tour by bus and train, but someday I want to travel to Europe by myself!
My wedding story has finished. It was a long way!
I ‘d really like to know about the wedding culture in other countries!
Thank you.
Japanese OL. (OL means “office lady”. Women who work in offices.)
I was born in a rural part of the Kanto area in the latter half of the 1980s. I live and work in Tokyo now. I live with my husband. I study English by writing this blog!
