Prepare Wedding Dresses: Sep 23, 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Perfect Japanese Dress For Your Wedding - Choosing a Traditional Dress

Every country has different traditions and customs that is why during the wedding ceremony the bride and the groom wear their traditional dresses. Weddings are celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in Japan. The close family members and friends of the bride and groom are invited to the wedding and the ceremony is mainly organized in a very simple manner. Most of the weddings in Japan are held in autumn and spring and organized in a Shinto temple. Before the wedding is planned an auspicious date is chosen so that it can bring luck for the bride and groom.
In this article, I would mainly like to tell you about the Traditional Japanese dress and the accessories that are worn by the Japanese bride.
1. The wedding dress
On the wedding day the Japanese bride looks extremely beautiful because their whole body is painted white. It is a belief in the Japanese culture that painting the bride white, would bring luck and prosperity in her married life. The wedding dress for a Japanese bride usually consists of a complete white kimono which is generally white in color. The kimono is known as shiro-maku. In order to get the perfect look for their wedding day, the brides also make different and elaborate hair styles that are done with the help of various hair accessories and comb.
2. Wedding accessories
Various different accessories are used for dressing up the Japanese bride. A hood is used for covering the head of the bride during the ceremony. This hood signifies that the bride would make a very patient and understanding wife. It is a tradition in Japan that the bride has to carry some additional accessories that are either borrowed or given to them by their elders. The accessories that they usually carry are the sheathed dagger which is known as the kaiken and a very delicate sack purse which is known as the hakoseko.
3. Simple and elegant
The Japanese bridal outfit is very simple and elegant. During the ceremony the bride also wears the tsuno-kakushiover which marks her eagerness to enter into this great institution. During the reception the bride has to change her clothes a number of times. The brides wear the uchikake during the reception and it is usually made of silk and dyed in red color.
I am sure this article would certainly be able to provide you all the information that you need about Japanese wedding dress.

Asian Style Wedding and Wedding Guest Favors

When one says "Asian-themed wedding", it means in the most of cases Japanese or Chinese traditions that took roots far in the past. Spring and fall are popular seasons for nuptial ceremonies in Japan. The traditional Japanese matrimonial ceremonies are Shinto-style that is held at shrines (jinja). In a Shito-style wedding ceremony, the bride wears a traditional kimono for the event, and the groom wears montsuki haori hakama. Usually, only the family members and close relatives of the couple will attend the Shinto-style ceremony. This includes sake drinking rituals, exchanging wedding rings, and more on. There are neither bridesmaids nor a best man, and the older married couple called nakoudo (matchmaker) visits the ceremony.
Most of weddings in Japan are held at hotels or wedding halls. Chapels and shrines are conveniently located within the facilities, and couples can choose the style and favors for their ceremonies. A Japanese ceremony can be of Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, and non-religious styles. The style of the ceremony doesn't necessarily match with one religion; the Asian-themed style assumes the mix of traditions. Non-Christian couples often have their matrimonial ceremony at chapels.
After the wedding ceremony, the reception party is hosted. The style and scale of favors at receptions vary depending on the place. Typically, relatives, friends, co-workers, and neighbors attend the reception. When you receive an invitation card, you must return the enclosed card and inform immediately whether you can attend or not for accounting reasons.
If you are going to attend a Japanese wedding reception, you are expected to bring cash as the gift for the bride and groom. The amount depends on your relationship with the wedding couple and the scale of ranks, though the fixed amount may be indicated in the invitation card. The average is 30,000 yen for a friend's wedding. It must be said, that the cash is enclosed in a special envelope, and your name is written on the front. When you go to the party, you give this envelope to the person at the reception desk and sign your name in the guestbook. People usually are formal dressed to attend a Japanese wedding reception. Female guests could wear dresses, suits or kimono, while male guests wear only white shirts and black formal suits. With the above it is then necessary for the couple to give the invited guests favors to reciprocate for their gifts of money.
During the reception, the special couple sits on a stage taking delight of the guests' speeches and performances which form part of the events favors to the attending guests. The most amusing speech may be specially rewarded by extra favors. Sometimes people are asked to perform something at the reception. Many couples sing their favorite songs as gifts. The couple after cutting a large wedding cake, then walking around the room, greeting guests and lighting the candles a full course meal is often served at the table.
At the wedding reception, souvenirs favors called hikidemono are prepared in bags for guests to take. The common favors are tableware, sweets, interiors, and other useful things, especially candles, napkins and dishes, mostly in red and golden colors, are accepted at the Asian-themed matrimonial events. In recent years, special party favor catalogs from which couples can choose presents have become popular for selecting the favor gifts.

The Japanese Wedding Culture

Until recently Japan was considered a land of mystery. American movies, unfortunately, did not depict the delicate and intricate workings of the Japanese society. Today, some Japanese couples have western-style ceremonies, just like American couples, but in former years this would have been considered unacceptable. Older pictures show beautiful, slim women in kimonos, their black hair in a bun on top of their head, walking on wooden clogs. The farm women were shown in black, padded pants and tops. Mainly, what the Americans knew about these people they read in books.
In Japan there is an ancient myth that all things, including Japan itself, were created by the marriage of male and female gods, similar to Zeus and Hera. Although, today, many Japanese weddings are conducted in a Western-style, in previous year's marriage was conducted in a strict Shinto ceremony.
Once a boy or girl attain the age of marriage a search for a suitable partner began. Often times marriages were arranged between overlords who wished to strengthen their power. In these cases often the couple had not seen each other until their wedding day.
Sometimes there was a Mi-Ai interview whereby the future groom managed to obtain an invitation to the house of someone he was interested in. At that time he would leave a token, such as a fan to indicate his interest in the woman. If the woman was impressed she was seen using the fan. This was just an indication that they were interested in getting to know each other, not necessarily an invitation to marriage.
The bride always wore an all-white wedding kimono which symbolized a new beginning as it was believed the bride 'died' as a member of her family and was 'reborn' into her husband's family. Her face was painted a creamy white. The bride changed her clothing several times during the wedding; one of the kimonos indicated that she was a young, unmarried woman. This was the last time she could wear this outfit. The groom wore a black kimono with the family crest in white and wore white sandals. He carried a white, folded fan.
The wedding ceremony was strictly, Shinto, in that it honored the natural world spirits. After a purification ceremony, the priest called on the gods to bless the couple. The ceremony ended with the sharing of sake from three flat cups stacked on top of one another. This was usually done according the family's custom; the groom takes three sips from a cup, followed by the bride taking three sips, then passing it to the family for the same routine. The first sip represented three couples (the bride and groom and their parents), the second sip represented human flaws, and the third sip represented deliverance from the human flaws.
The Japanese wedding banquet food was very special, representing happiness, prosperity, many children, and happiness. The food was served in special ways to represent these attributes. For example, clams were served with the shells together representing the couple's solid union; fish was formed in a circle to represent solidarity; etc

Popular Asian Wedding Traditions

An Asian wedding is as colorful as the festivities this region is popular for. Asia is very respectful of its traditions and customs. And while there are many Western cultural influences already, during special occasions such as weddings, the people pay homage to the meaningful and colorful traditions of their nation. Here are some popular Asian wedding traditions that reflect the heritage of each country.
Japan - Wedding celebrations in Japan are very much filled with veneration and wishes of blessing to the couple. Traditionally, as the bride and groom's families enter the ceremonial hall, they bring offerings of fruit, salt, and water for the couple. These are the items that they associate with wealth and good fortune. They also offer sake or rice water to the ceremony. The wedding color for the traditional Japanese ceremony is purple. The bride wears a purple dress or kimono and is also usually adorned with images of purple iris flowers.
China - It is customary for the groom to give a whole roast pig to the bride's family. This serves as a good engagement gift from the groom to the bride's family. This is aside from the other gifts that the groom is expected to give to the bride and her family. The wedding color for the traditional Chinese wedding is red. This is the color that they associate with luck. The bright red gown of the bride is also usually adorned with images that depict good luck, fortune, and wealth. These symbols are golden phoenixes and peonies. Towards the end of the reception, firecrackers are being shot and are intended to drive away evil spirits that may harm the couple.
Philippines - Called 'pamamanhikan', the groom-to-be with his family visits the home of the bride at least six months before the wedding to formally ask for the bride's hand for marriage. This is the opportunity for both the bride and groom to discuss their plans for the future with their families, and the families in turn can give words of advice.
Korea - On the night before the wedding, it is customary for the groom to journey to the house of his bride using a lantern. The use of the lantern is very prominent in Korean culture, and this journey of the groom is intended to glorify this Korean tradition through their union in marriage. The groom also brings with him a chest full of gifts for the bride and her family.
In some parts of the ceremony and reception, there are other traditions that are not just interesting but meaningful as well. These traditions are intended to bring nothing but good fortune for the couple. While there are changes or infusions of these traditions, the essence of the event remains the same. Weddings are not just unions of two people, but they are also ways for the bride and groom to pay homage to their family, to their country, and to their culture. Asian weddings are not just filled with fun and joy, but also with good wishes and respect.