Asian Weddings

Asian Wedding Customs: The Japanese Wedding

Traditional Japanese weddings have a long history and some aspects of even the most modern weddings hark back to the traditional ceremony. During the time of the samurai the Japanese custom of a white silk wedding kimono for the bride became popular. White symbolizes endings and new beginnings, appropriate for the transition of a bride from her parents’ family to the groom’s family. The bride does not wear just one outfit, she changes up to four times during the wedding ceremony. Each entrance in a new outfit assures that the bride remains the center of focus of the entire wedding party. Brightly colored kimonos of cloth embroidered with gold or silver cranes or flowers follow the white kimono. Purple is the color of love and gowns embellished with purple irises are customary. Head coverings for the bride include a white hood with the white kimono. Later in the ceremony an elaborate headdress may be worn. Hair is generally swept up and held with tortoise combs. The groom wears a black silk kimono throughout the ceremony. Many kimonos for both bride and groom are passed down through the generations.

Traditional weddings are held at a Shinto shrine and presided over by a Shinto priest. The priest purifies the couple and calls on the kami, or nature spirits of the Shinto religion, to bless the bride and groom. The final part of the ceremony is the ritual drinking of sake from three cups. This serves the same function that wedding vows do, binding the bride and groom together. First the bride and groom drink from the three cups, then the family members. At the end of the sake drinking ceremony, the couple is considered married. After the ceremony at the Shinto shrine, a banquet is held to wish the couple a long and happy life together. Modern weddings may have the sake ceremony at the banquet.
According to modern Japanese law, no formal wedding ceremony of any kind is required. Legal documents need to be filed at the city hall. These establish their new status as a married couple and should be filed prior to any wedding ceremonies.

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Since the 1980s, the traditional Japanese Shinto or Buddhist wedding has given way to a blend of Western, traditional or completely modern styles. Western style weddings are becoming increasing popular as they give an impression of the exotic and modern. Although they have increased in popularity so much that now they are the standard ceremony, they do not need to be presided over by a member of the clergy. There is no requirement that officials at the wedding hold any type of qualification or title. Large hotels offer wedding chapels, both Shinto and Christian, where the couple and family can celebrate the wedding ceremony.

Some traditional elements remain a part of the modern ceremony. Frequent clothing changes of the bride during the ceremony now include a Western wedding dress while the groom dons a tuxedo. The sake ceremony remains an important element of even the most modern wedding.