Japanese Wedding Dress

Most Japanese weddings take place at Shinto Shrines. One the wedding day the bride is painted from head to toe in white as a statement of her maidenhood. The bride wears a white kimono and elaborate headpiece to hide her "horns of jealousy:" from the groom’s mother, who becomes the head of her family. A Japanese groom dresses in a black kimono. While the bride and groom exchange vows the two families face each other and not the bride and groom. One of the central moment of the Japanese wedding ceremony is when the bride and groom drink nine cups of sake, after which they are officially declared man and wife. The families also drink sake to symbolize the joining of the two families. At the end of the ceremony the father of the groom and the bride introduce their family members.

At the wedding reception the bride changes into a red kimono, and at some wedding a Western style white wedding dress. The wedding guest play games, skits, and sometimes karaoke at the wedding reception. Guest are expected to offer the couple "goshugi"(money). Most Japanese weddings take place in the Spring or Fall, because of the good weather. Some days are consider luckier to get married on than other.