After getting married last Nov. in Tainan, Taiwan, one of my best friends, Cherry, finally held a wedding party (ni-ji-kai*, in Japanese) in Tokyo and met the "satisfaction" of her families and all good friends.
Here, one important thing should be noted: Cherry is Japanese with Taiwanese origin, and is married to Tomoki san, a Japanese lawyer.
The wedding party was held at a chic trendy cafe, Cafe Selon, @ Namiki Dori, Aoyama, Tokyo. Besides the delicious buffet and convivial atmosphere, there were several climax in the whole party, such as:
The bride and the groom's entry into the party - white wedding dress and white suit, bowing (typical Japanese) and bowing again. ;-)
The BOSS of and the most important "elder character" from the groom, to everyone's surprise, has given us a long (at least 20 min?!) and depicted speech about the groom's virtues and competence at work. (Pls bear in mind, he is the boss of a prestigeous law firm in Tokyo.)
Best wishes to and personal words about the couple from their internationally composed guests - Japanese, Taiwanese, German etc.
A karaoke entertainment arranged with a beautiful Chinese love song by a lovely duet.
Last, but not the least, a LOVE LETTER reading by the bride to the groom - I personally consider it as the climax of the climax, and the letter was so touching that I felt my eyes were getting a bit moist...
All in all, it was a wonderful two hours time - Japanese are punctual. When it's written from 12:00 to 14:00, then it ends at 14:00 sharp without any possible delay or surprise - and I really enjoyed it. Compared to the wedding banquet style, crowdy and noisy, in Taiwan, I always find the Japanese style brings more communication among participants during the party. It's said that some people also consider wedding parties as a "channel" to meet potential candidates for their future partners, and I wonder if it's still the case in Japan now...
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* NOTE: In Japan, wedding is usually composed of 2 parts.
1st is the wedding ceremony, which you can either opt for a traditional Japanese style in a Buddhist temple or a Shintoist shrine, or a western style in a church or a wedding chapel. A luxurious lunch or dinner will follow the ceremony. Only the closest family members, the most important elders in the personal relationship of the bride and the groom, namely bosses in the working relationship, and best friends will be invited to this part. The number of guests varies from the wealthiness and the social importance of the couple's families. In a normal case, the guests are limited between 20 to 30.
Unlike the custom in west, i.e. list of marriage or gifts giving, guests are expected to make financial contribution (money in special wedding envelope) to the couple as they arrive at the ceremony. For it's very expensive for Japanese to hold a wedding ceremony in Japan. A modest budget is estimated at around 1 mio Japanese Yen (around 9,000USD). Of course, guests are not supposed to feel "deprived" from the couples, so they will usually receive a "thank you" gift prepared by the couple's side, following to a luxurious meal.
2nd part is the wedding party for friends and colleagues, also called "Ni-ji-kai" in Japanese (meaning the 2nd party). This party often takes place in a stylish restaurant, and guests will be required to pay for their food and drinks - it's usually called "kai-hi" (participation fee) , and the menu is decided by the couple before hand. This kind of party is aimed for the new couple to share their joy with good friends, so it is held in a more casual and entertaining form. A witful animator is often present, and some funny words and programs are usually arranged.
As the bride and the groom will invite good friends from each side, the party is also considered as an opportunity for meeting new people for all the participants.
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