Archive for the 'Wedding Tiara' Category

A Traditional Japanese Wedding

As we continue to explore wedding traditions in different cultures, our next stop is Japan.  As the main religion of the Japanese people is Shinto, traditional weddings take place in a Shinto shrine.  The word Shinto means “the way of Kami (God).”  These traditional ceremonies are very intimate events attended only by the couple’s closest friends and relatives.  A Shinto priest conducts the first ceremony where the bride and groom will ask for their mind, body, and soul to be purified.  After this, they exchange vows and commit themselves to one another.  They then eat cake and drink sake.  At every traditional Japenese wedding, the couple will drink nine cups of sake.  This is a symbol of them embracing their unity.  Friends and relatives also drink sake.

 
The bride will wear a shiro-maku, which translated means “white” and “pure.”  This white kimono is typical for this type of ceremony.  Her hair will be adorned with an ornament or some other hair accessory.  The groom also wears a traditional kimono, with pleated hakama pants and an overcoat adorned with his family crest.  The couple changes their clothes many times throughout the celebration and the bride will change in to a red kimono at least once.
 
Although the ceremony is small and intimate, the reception can reach as many as 200 guests, including family, friends and casual acquaintances.  Guests participate in the ceremony by singing, dancing and making speeches to the bride and groom.  Traditional Japanese music is generally played.  At the end of the party, the bride and groom will both make a thank you speech to their guests.
 
While this blog is meant to introduce you to elements of the Japanese culture to add to you wedding, interestingly, the past few decades have shown Japanese couples introducing elements of Western customs into their weddings.  Some brides wear white, Western-style wedding gowns rather than kimonos.  When they change their outfits during the ceremony, often they will change from a kimono into a Western styled dress.  Some even hold their ceremonies inside a Christian church, although they aren’t Christians.  Sometimes traditional and modern elements are combined into the ceremony.  For instance, the Shinto shrine, may actually be located inside a hotel, where the wedding reception will take place as well.  It will still be a small intimate affair but the reception will be moved to a larger room. Many Japanese weddings now include the cake cutting ceremony, as is customary in the Western-style wedding.
 
Whether the wedding is traditional, modern or both, Japanese weddings are always a classy event.  Make sure you don’t miss the reception either as this will be an amazing experience you will not soon forget.


Fall leaf candles

Capture the spirit of the season you marry in

Winter time weddings usually breed winter themed weddings, including location, (probably indoors), decorations and possibly your selection of a favor. I went to a December wedding once where the couple gave each female guest two ornate glass Christmas ornaments. I suspect they were pricy because they were in boxes from an upscale department store. I certainly understand the relevancy here, but if the majority of your guests don’t celebrate Christmas, (and you are aware of this fact), then I’d suggest something else; something more appropriate for the general public.

Spring weddings tend to lend themselves to a few more options than winter weddings. Depending on the month, you can have a portion or all of wedding reception outdoors. You’ll have a variety of flowers to choose from. You can find lots of wedding supplies geared towards the spring months, including holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. You may also get a better turn out of out of town guests. People are less averse to traveling if in climate weather isn’t an issue.

Daytime or nighttime weddings are both good choices in the summer. I would suggest lighter colors and lighter weight dresses for the bridesmaids. People will get antsy quickly if they have to spend an hour on formal pictures outside in a black gown in the middle of August! If your reception is going to be outside, make sure the tables are under tents or that there is some form of shade. If it’s going to be indoors, make sure the reception hall has air conditioning.

Fall and harvest type themes speak volumes in the fall months. If you’re into the yellows, oranges and browns, then fall is the right season for you. It should be relatively easy to provide an elegant setting or whatever setting you want with the changing of leaf colors. Corn stalks and scarecrows are great if they’re utilized in the proper setting. If your wedding is early enough in the fall season, you may be able to have cocktail hour outside.

No matter what month you pick to marry in, just try to make sure that you are in sync with the season. You can certainly do what you want to do, but if your hearts’ desire is to have a clambake for the food, I’d stick with the summer months. It might seem a little odd to eat steamers and lobster in many places in January. Of course you could always have a destination wedding to the Caribbean or some other exotic place where it’s pretty much always summer.  Ah, but that’s a whole separate topic!


TiaraAs the bride-to-be, your fairytale wedding is finally coming true.  You should look and feel like a princess on your special day.  You’ve got your elegant dress, matching satin, strappy shoes and exquisite jewelry.  There’s only one thing missing and no princess ensemble is ever complete without it, the tiara.

The most preferred bridal tiara is the regular crown-shaped one however there are many varieties to choose from.  Some are very simple in gold or silver while others are extremely ornate, made with beads and semi-precious stones.   They come in many shapes and sizes.  There are even some styles so simple that they look like a hair band.  Make sure to really look around and find the one that best suits your personal style as well as your wedding ensemble.