I wonder how weddings take place in this mysterious Eastern country. Gone is the tradition when the couple for a girl or a boy was chosen by parents or intermediaries.
The peculiarity of modern marriage in Japan is that the bureaucratic procedure and the celebration itself are separated by months and years. That is, the wedding will take place when they can prepare it, and this requires a lot of money.
The national marriage ceremony takes place in the Shinto style:
The newlyweds undergo a purification ceremony in the temple: three times they exchange a small cup of sake (rice vodka). Twice they have to sip, and the third time they take a sip.
The priest reads the accepted prayers, then the newlyweds sign the church book and exchange rings.
Only close relatives are present in the temple. It is noteworthy that the beliefs of the newlyweds do not matter – they swear fidelity only in front of the guests.
Then everyone goes to the restaurant, and the young people here give small gifts to the guests (sweets, tea, coffee, etc.) The usual gifts are not given to the young people – they give only money in envelopes. Guests eat and sing, but it is not customary to dance at a Japanese wedding.
Even this small overview shows how varied are the obligatory traditions at weddings in different nations. Everywhere, parents and newlyweds alike want such an important event to go right, with the observance of all well-established customs. This gives hope that the upcoming family life will work out happily.