Japan Wedding Paige Perrin - PowerPoint Presentation

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Japan Wedding

Paige Perrin

Country info

Historically, many Japanese participated in a form of courtship called

Omiai

. In this custom, parents hired matchmakers who would gather 

photographs

 and resumes of potential partners. When both parties agreed to a possible match, the couple would meet, typically with the families and the matchmaker present. During the first few dates, the parents and matchmaker were extremely influential in determining whether the couple should marry.

Traditional Customs

Courting:

Of all the rules in Japanese courtship, one of the most significant is punctuality. Meeting times are sacred, and the failure to honor them is consider grounds for the end of a

relationship.

Engagement:

When

a Japanese couple gets engaged, the man may give his

fiancee

an 

engagement ring,

but the couple also exchanges nine lucky objects to symbolize their happiness:

Awabi

(abalone): for good wishes

Kinpo-zutsumi

: a ceremonial amount of money

Katsuabushi

(dried bonito) and

surume

(dried cuttlefish): preserved foods that symbolize lasting quality

Yanagidaru

: 

Cash

 specifically for purchasing sake (rice wine)

Suehiro

: a fan as a symbol of happiness

Konbu

: kelp to ensure fertility and a healthy family

Tomoshiraga

: linen thread to signify strong ties in married life

Mokuroku

: a list of the lucky objects

Wedding day

The

Japanese bride-to-be is painted pure white from head to toe,

visibly

declaring

her maiden status to the gods. The bride wears a white kimono and an elaborate headpiece covered with many ornaments to invite good luck to the happy couple. A white hood is attached to the kimono, which the bride wears like a veil to hide her 'horns of jealousy' from the groom's mother, who will now become the head of the family. Japanese grooms wear black kimonos to their wedding ceremony

.

While the bride and groom exchange their wedding vows, their families face each other, instead of the couple getting married. Central to the traditional Japanese marriage ceremony is the ritual of drinking nine cups of sake, after which newlyweds are considered united. 

Ceremony

The Shinto ceremony takes place at a shrine, performed before a Shinto sanctuary and conducted by a Shinto priest. Many hotels and restaurants are equipped with a special room with miniature Shinto shrines located inside where the couple can perform their marriage vows to the '

Kamisama

' (god). The ceremony first begins by purifying the couple. After the purification and vows are performed the bride and groom exchange cups of sake (rice wine) in the 'san-san-

kudo

' (three-times-three) ceremony as part of their wedding vows that symbolizes not only the union of two people, but also the uniting of two families. To close the ceremony, symbolic offerings of small tree twigs called

sakaki

are given to the '

Kamisama

'.

Bride Attire

brides may wear a colorful silk kimono or a

shiromuku

, a formal gown passed down over the ages and still used today as traditional bridal dresses. 

Japanese

brides wear an elaborate hairstyle, known as the

bunkin-takashimada

.

Groom Attire

For a Japanese wedding, the groom’s dress is much simpler than the bride’s. A Japanese groom wears a

montsuki

kimono, which prominently displays his family crest on the front and back

Guest Attire

Many men wear a dark suit with a white tie for weddings and the same suit and black tie for funerals. You can easily wear any formal suit or dress (as long as not too flashy) and high-heel pumps

Other Info

Guests attending a Japanese wedding reception are expected to bring

Oshugi

, a cash gift. Sometimes, the amount is specified on the invitation. Typically the amount depends on the guest's relationship with the couple.

Different from the US?

They put a lot more work into it. Like painting the brides face all white, and they have 3 different types of ceremonies before the wedding, and on in the US a wedding attire for a guess is just a simple dress and heels. Then in the US the gift doesn’t just have to be money it can also be like supplies for your house

or money.