Our First Japanese Wedding!

Newlyweds, Toshi and Ayumi!

Two of our very dear friends got married this past weekend! They are both Japanese, but they did not have a traditional Japanese wedding. Their wedding was very western, but it was still stunning and amazing! It was held in Landmark Tower in Yokohama. The ceremony was in a Christian chapel in the basement, and the reception was up on the 70th floor, over looking the entire city! The view was spectacular! I have 4 different parts to talk about regarding the wedding, so this first part will be about the wedding itself.

First off, the dress code for attending Japanese weddings is pretty strict. The idea is to look very fancy - so business casual or a nice little summer dress, etc, is out of the question! All men must wear a black suit with a white dress shirt. The tie can be any kind of muted color - no bright, flashy colors are allowed for either sex. However, the tie cannot be black - a black suit with black tie is reserved only for funerals. Unfortunately we learned of that fact after we had arrived! We spent over a month researching everything about how to dress, how to act, what not to do/say, etc, yet somehow that little memo about the black tie slipped by us, and Jonathan arrived in a black tie. Luckily, another nice Japanese guy told us, so Jonathan quickly removed it and went without one. There were a couple of other men attending that did not wear ties, so we didn't feel too bad.

For women attending, a knee-length dress is a must; again, no bright colors, and of course no white. Fancy, elegant, and it must have a shawl. Tan colored pantyhose are worn with black or blue flats - no heels over 1 inch. Jewelry must be dainty and conservative - pearls are traditional wedding adornments, and I noticed that the majority of women there had pearl earrings and necklaces on. So, I ended up wearing a knee-length dark blue dress with a silk shawl that has white and blue roses on it. I had on my tan colored hose and black flats. I wore pearl earrings and a simple tennis bracelet.

When we arrived to Landmark Tower, everyone gathered in a waiting area that had refreshments. After a while, we were escorted to the chapel for the ceremony. It was very nice. Ayumi entered the room and her mother placed the veil over her face, then her father walked her down the aisle. Instead of a flower girl or ring bearer, the priest had the rings, and everyone was given a handful of rose petals that we threw as the bride and groom walked down the aisle.

After the ceremony, we all went to a grand staircase and watched the married couple beautifully descend the stairs so Ayumi could throw her bouquet. They had photos taken as the guests were again escorted to the banquet room, up on the 70th floor. The elevator ride up was so fast that your ears pop! Everyone had assigned seating and the servers immediately started with the drinks. First off, we had champagne. Everyone toasted as the newlyweds entered, and then they kept everyone loaded on wine and beer. Then the feast began - that will be a different post! After all of the eating, drinking, and celebrating, it was time to leave. Everyone filed out of the banquet room and thanked and congratulated the married couple as they handed each person a party favor.

We had such a great time, and everything was gorgeous! Roses and white lilies everywhere, and the newlyweds looked amazing. We are so excited and grateful that we got to attend a wedding while living here, and someday I hope we can attend a traditional wedding in a shrine or temple.

The view from the 70th floor!

Wedding cake! Yummy strawberry shortcake