Monday, July 21, 2008

Wedding Crasher



Well, I didn't really crash this wedding, but I did crash the photo shoot. This was a wedding couple having their photos taken outside Fujiya Hotel, the oldest hotel in Japan, in Hakone. The bride was sitting for two reasons: first, that gown is very heavy and second, she towered over her husband when standing.


When I lived in Japan 15 years ago, I did get invited to one wedding. The bride asked me to give a speech in Japanese, probably the most difficult public speaking I've ever done. Like the bride pictured at right, the bride wore a traditional kimono for the Shinto religious ceremony, which only family attended. But after entering the reception in that gown, she changed to a fancy evening gown, and then again to a Western style white wedding dress. The guests did not take gifts, but instead took fancy envelopes filled with cash. The wedding couple gave each guest a bag of gifts to take home. Mine included coffee, cakes, and kitchen gadgets.

No comments: