Wedding Celebrations in Japan

A wedding is an event in which two individuals are joined in matrimony. Wedding customs and traditions vary widely between different cultures, religious groups, societies, states, and even social class. The wedding ceremonies could be cultural, historical, or contemporary. Cultural differences on wedding rites could stem from the country’s or region’s heritage, or it could be influenced by the occupants of the specific area. Most wedding ceremonies typically occur during the early spring after the bride and groom have gotten to know each other for about a year or two.

During a wedding, there are several events that take place, and these collectively are referred to as the wedding ceremony. The wedding invitation, which serve as the formal invitation to the wedding ceremony; wedding ceremony programs, which are the legal paperwork that describes the events of the wedding ceremony and other pertinent information that guests should know about; wedding day cake, which are the actual cake that will be served at the reception; rings, which symbolize the vows made by the bride and the groom in front of God or family members; groomsmen, who bring the bride and groom’s sword to the groom after the exchange of the rings. Lastly, there are the wedding favors, which are small gifts presented to all invited guests to provide them with satisfaction and remembrance.

Another thing you should consider is the wedding planning. In Japan, it is customary to send thank you notes to every guest who is willing to attend the event. This is called meta kake (ink trace) which is very important, as it expresses the gratitude one feels towards friends and relatives who are willing to be there for the bride and groom. In addition, it shows how special they are to the bride and the groom. As such, the note always ends with Thank You. There are also traditional bridal parties which are held for the maid of honor, the flower girl, the bridesmaids, the parents of the bride, the ushers, and other attendants.

The wedding traditions in Japan also include the exchange of flowers. A bouquet is sent to all guests which represents beauty and good fortune. Upon reaching the venue, guests have a chance to choose a flower. The wedding traditions also include lanterns being placed in the corners of the venue, which serves as reference points to direct the couple to their proper places. One of the most important wedding traditions in Japan happens to be the exchange of bouquets between the bride and the groom with each one representing a different aspect of their relationship.

The wedding party is the last part of the entire ceremony in Japan. After the guests have departed, the groom steps on the bride’s shoulders and they take their final walk down the aisle. Then, they exchange their wedding vows and make their way for the newly married residence. The wedding party can break up into several smaller groups to visit different shrines. This is to remember that the couple is now together and they should live happily ever after.

The Japanese wedding celebrations are not only about the bride and groom. There are many other people that participate in these special events. The parents of both the bride and groom are honored at the occasions and are treated particularly well. On these occasions, the parents are given gifts as well as money. The bride and groom themselves hold onto each others hands and they sign their names on the marriage papers making it official.