Whether you have been invited to a traditional Japanese wedding or you are just interested in wedding customs in general, you will discover that there are some fascinating aspects about a Japanese wedding ceremony that make it special from other similar events. A Japanese wedding is usually Buddhist, Shinto, or Christian in form, or it may not even be religious at all. A Japanese wedding can take on many different styles depending on taste and preference.
The most traditional sort of Japanese wedding that you are likely to see is the Shinto style wedding, which are private events taking place at shrines. Only intimate family members participate in this service, though there will usually be an older couple there as well, to act in the matchmaker role. The ceremony consists of customs that include drinking sake, and in more modern context, the exchange of wedding bands. The families of the bride and the groom will also exchange glasses of sake to show that the two families are now tied together. Japanese brides wear a shiromuku, a white kimono, for wedding dresses, while the grooms will wear montsuki, a formal black kimono, and the wide legged trousers known as hakama.
When the service is over at the Shinto shrine, there is often a reception celebration, where the extended family, friends, and colleagues will attend to celebrate the wedding. The dress is usually very formal and it is not uncommon to see women in suits as well as kimono in attendance.
A Japanese wedding invitation should be answered ASAP and it is important to remember that a gift of cash is essential. There may be a specific amount on the invitation, but if not, you can decide how much to give based on how close you are to the happy couple; the closer you are to them, the more you would give. It is standard to give the cash in crisp new bills, which are put into an envelope, named shugi-bukuro, and your name is nicely printed on the front of it. The guests even get a gift at a Japanese wedding, usually a memento known as hikidemono is given, and nowadays guests would be allowed to select their gift from a catalogue.
The wedding reception itself is usually a very entertaining event, with the bride and groom seated on a stage and many participants singing celebratory or congratulatory songs for them. There is usually a Western style wedding cake and in many cases the couple will stroll all over the room to light candles and to talk to the guests. Rather than staying in their formal wedding dress, the bride will likely change into a less formal kimono.
A Japanese wedding can take styles from various different cultures and traditions, and it is just as likely to see Japanese brides wearing elegant Western wedding dresses as it is to see them in a formal white kimono and elaborate headdress. If you have received an invitation to a Japanese wedding, it would be wise to ask what is proper and what the couple is wanting from their guests. No matter what part of the world you may come from, you will find that a wedding is a means to celebrate with a loving couple their happiness and joy.