![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Monday morning
Aug. 2nd, 2004 09:55 amYesterday was the western-style wedding. We arrived at the Q.E.D. club where the ceremony was held around 10 am. There was a flute player, a guest book, and a table with pictures of the couple. Of course, the guest book was vertical and read right to left and our American names really stood out. I tried to write nicely, although it didn’t look as nice as the Japanese.
After a bit, we were all ushered outside to a small courtyard where there were chairs and flowers set up underneath some large umbrellas. It was incredibly beautiful and incredibly hot. I didn’t mind the heat, but I could feel the sweat drops running down me and sweating through your silk dress is never attractive.
As we went to our seats, we were each given a white rose. Once we sat down, we passed the white roses to the center. The ceremony began with Yuri (the groom) coming out and walking down the aisle. As he passed each row, the person in the center gave him the roses from their row. When he reached the front, he had his hands full of about 100 roses. Kae told me later that the roses are not a Japnese tradition, but just something they decided to do. Then Kae and her father walked down the aisle together to the traditional wedding march. Yuri gave Kae the roses. Some words were said and then the couple exchanged rings. They signed a register, along with their parents, which the bride’s father then showed to the guests. Then Yuri and Kae bowed to each other and he kissed her forehead.
We then went inside for the reception – a wonderful French meal. Many people made speeches and we assume they were about Kae and Yuri. The m.c. then came over to my mom and asked her to say something. Thankfully, my mom kept it short, because immediately after this, the m.c. ran over to this British girl, Karen who speaks both languages and asked her to translate. Of course, this was not told to her until after my mom was speaking, so she panicked for a moment trying to remember what my mom had said. Then she was able to remember and apparently did a great job translating because everyone clapped.
About three minutes later, Kae’s sister came over to our table and told us that our family would next sing “Stand By Me.” This was a total shock to us and we aren’t a particularly musical family. None of us knew the words to the song and my parents weren’t sure they even knew the song at all. In a stroke of genius, my sister-in-law, Jenny suggested we sing “You Are My Sunshine” instead and it turned out the musicians knew the music. So, shortly after this, we all went up to the front of the room, the sax guy played an introduction and we all started to sing. It went so well – the people started smiling and clapping and a few even sang along.
After the dinner ended, we all went back outside and Kae changed into a beautiful orange/pink/red dress. She and Yuri walked down this staircase and cut their cake – a huge heart-shaped cake covered with strawberries. We then took a picture of the whole group and headed back inside for dessert. Besides the wedding cake, there were about fifty different kinds of desserts including fresh fruit, crème brulee, tarts, cream puffs, tortes, and chocolate ice cream.
When everyone was done eating, Kae and Yuri each made a speech to their parents. Nori told us later that the speeches were a thank you to the parents and that Kae had also included us in the speech, saying that she had gained confidence while living in America. Apparently, it is a Japanese custom to give money at the wedding, but we took two iPod minis as gifts, along with chocolate chip cookies, extra chocolate chips, wine from New Mexico, and a Quicktime movie slideshow with pictures from when Kae lived with us. As we left, we gave them our gifts, thanked everyone for having been such great hosts, and hugged everyone goodbye.
In all, the wedding was very similar to a western wedding, but without the religious significance. The Shinto wedding was more interesting to me from a cultural perspective, but this wedding was more fun and felt more like a celebration.
After a bit, we were all ushered outside to a small courtyard where there were chairs and flowers set up underneath some large umbrellas. It was incredibly beautiful and incredibly hot. I didn’t mind the heat, but I could feel the sweat drops running down me and sweating through your silk dress is never attractive.
As we went to our seats, we were each given a white rose. Once we sat down, we passed the white roses to the center. The ceremony began with Yuri (the groom) coming out and walking down the aisle. As he passed each row, the person in the center gave him the roses from their row. When he reached the front, he had his hands full of about 100 roses. Kae told me later that the roses are not a Japnese tradition, but just something they decided to do. Then Kae and her father walked down the aisle together to the traditional wedding march. Yuri gave Kae the roses. Some words were said and then the couple exchanged rings. They signed a register, along with their parents, which the bride’s father then showed to the guests. Then Yuri and Kae bowed to each other and he kissed her forehead.
We then went inside for the reception – a wonderful French meal. Many people made speeches and we assume they were about Kae and Yuri. The m.c. then came over to my mom and asked her to say something. Thankfully, my mom kept it short, because immediately after this, the m.c. ran over to this British girl, Karen who speaks both languages and asked her to translate. Of course, this was not told to her until after my mom was speaking, so she panicked for a moment trying to remember what my mom had said. Then she was able to remember and apparently did a great job translating because everyone clapped.
About three minutes later, Kae’s sister came over to our table and told us that our family would next sing “Stand By Me.” This was a total shock to us and we aren’t a particularly musical family. None of us knew the words to the song and my parents weren’t sure they even knew the song at all. In a stroke of genius, my sister-in-law, Jenny suggested we sing “You Are My Sunshine” instead and it turned out the musicians knew the music. So, shortly after this, we all went up to the front of the room, the sax guy played an introduction and we all started to sing. It went so well – the people started smiling and clapping and a few even sang along.
After the dinner ended, we all went back outside and Kae changed into a beautiful orange/pink/red dress. She and Yuri walked down this staircase and cut their cake – a huge heart-shaped cake covered with strawberries. We then took a picture of the whole group and headed back inside for dessert. Besides the wedding cake, there were about fifty different kinds of desserts including fresh fruit, crème brulee, tarts, cream puffs, tortes, and chocolate ice cream.
When everyone was done eating, Kae and Yuri each made a speech to their parents. Nori told us later that the speeches were a thank you to the parents and that Kae had also included us in the speech, saying that she had gained confidence while living in America. Apparently, it is a Japanese custom to give money at the wedding, but we took two iPod minis as gifts, along with chocolate chip cookies, extra chocolate chips, wine from New Mexico, and a Quicktime movie slideshow with pictures from when Kae lived with us. As we left, we gave them our gifts, thanked everyone for having been such great hosts, and hugged everyone goodbye.
In all, the wedding was very similar to a western wedding, but without the religious significance. The Shinto wedding was more interesting to me from a cultural perspective, but this wedding was more fun and felt more like a celebration.
