Road to marriage in Japan③
Hello. Today I will talk about a series of my wedding that is Japanese typical.
First episode ⇒ Road to marriage①
Second episode ⇒ Road to marriage②
This post is the 3rd episode.
My wedding flow is as shown below.
| 1 | Propose
(1 and a half years before the wedding ceremony) |
| 2 | Start to choose a wedding hall
(1 and a half years before the wedding ceremony) |
| 3 | Meet each parent
(1 year and 3 months before the wedding ceremony) |
| 4 | Decide on a wedding hall
(1 year and 2 months before the wedding ceremony) |
| 5 | Choose wedding dresses
(1 year and 2 months before the wedding ceremony. Then I decided 10 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 6 | Looking for an engagement ring
(1 year and a month before the wedding ceremony) |
| 7 | Yuino (a traditional Japanese ceremony) & meeting dinner party
(1 year before the wedding ceremony) |
| 8 | Search for a new house
(8 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 9 | Entry in a family register
(6 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 10 | Start to have a wedding ceremony meeting
(4 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 11 | Wedding photos in advance
(3 months before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 12 | Looking for wedding rings
(1 month before the wedding ceremony. ) |
| 13 | The wedding day |
| 14 | Honeymoon
(3 months after the wedding ceremony. ) |
※ That is just in my case. Not in all Japanese cases.
Today I will talk about ⑥～⑨, the first meeting of the two families, and the start of living together with my husband (the table’s boldface).
6 Looking for an engagement ring
I didn’t have the engagement ring yet because I wanted to choose it by myself. I went to Ginza to buy it with my partner. There are many jewelry shops in Ginza.
We visited a few shops and bought a favorite one. At the same time, I bought him tailor-made suits in return for the ring.
7 Yuino & meeting dinner party
“Yuino(結納)” is a traditional Japanese ceremony to make an engagement formal. Couples exchange betrothal gifts or money between the two families. The gifts are something to be said in Japan to bring luck such as kelp or dried squid. They vary depending on areas.
However, the number of couples who don’t hold yuino is increasing recently, because many couples and their parents feel yuino is too formal and old custom (further, it’s expensive). In that case, they hold a meeting dinner party, which is the first meeting of the two families to deepen the friendship. Since it is not a ceremony, there are no rules or anything necessary. I also didn’t do yuino but have a meeting dinner party.
My husband and I held the meeting party at a restaurant. Our parents introduce each other for the first time. We exchanged the engagement ring and tailor-made suits in front of parents.
8 Search for new houses
As parents allowed us to get married formally, my husband and I decided to live together. We looked for our house. First, we chose a station which is close to our office and not so far from hometown. Then we went to real estate agents at that station, and we went to see several houses every weekend.
We finally decided on our new house by rent, size and distance from the station. I really like our house (*^^*). We moved to the apartment after signing a lease contract.
※Rent market rate @ Tokyo is 80,000〜200,000 yen(1LDK). Many couples first live in an apartment after marriage.
9 Entry in a family register
My husband and I filed our marriage paper on the next day of moving. We got married officially before having the wedding ceremony. We started a new life!
↑a marriage paper in Japan
Next time I will introduce a wedding ceremony meeting. It was a very long meeting.
※Some couples live together and entry in a family register after holding the wedding ceremony. The schedule in this post is just in my case.
See you!
Click here to read the next episode.
4th episode ⇒ Road to marriage④
Final episode ⇒ Road to marriage⑤
Japanese OL. (OL means “office lady”. Women who work in offices.)
I was born in a rural part of the Kanto area in the latter half of the 1980s. I live and work in Tokyo now. I live with my husband. I study English by writing this blog!
