Japanese Wedding Traditions

Depending on where the wedding is held (in Japan or in the U.S.), a Japanese wedding could be a Christian, Shinto or Buddhist ceremony. The religion usually dictates some of the Japanese wedding traditions that will be followed. With that said, many Japanese do not really worship any particular religion so you might find many Japanese weddings being performed in churches, even if the families are not Christian.

According to traditional Japanese wedding traditions, only close family members are allowed to attend the actual Japanese wedding ceremony. Anyone who is not a family member is invited to the reception. As the Japanese wedding ceremonies themselves are rather exclusive, the reception is a huge affair and rather elaborate.

If you receive a Japanese wedding invitation to the reception, be sure to reply as quickly as possible. These events are large and the planners need plenty of notice to coordinate all the details such as the place, cake, food and more. According to Japanese wedding customs, the seating is arranged according to the relationship to the bride and groom. The closer you are, the better the seating you have.

Other Japanese wedding traditions are reflected in the Japanese wedding dresses. Like with other Asian cultures, the bride changes into several different dresses. If the wedding is rather traditional, the bride starts out with a white kimono and veil as the ceremonial Japanese wedding dress. For the reception, she may change several times from a more contemporary wedding dress to traditional Japanese wedding gowns in different colors. In some areas, the Japanese wedding coat is also worn.

Food at a Japanese wedding is traditionally French cuisine, although more contemporary reception may boast foods from all over the world. However, there are some Japanese elements like sake and tea. The Japanese wedding cake is more reflective of a Westernized culture but may incorporate edible flowers and other items that hint at a Japanese heritage. There is a tradition among some families to have Japanese wedding dolls. These dolls sometimes grave the top of the wedding cake or even grace the table where the wedding guest book is kept.

All in all, Japanese wedding traditions are morphing into a whole new genre. As more and more westernized practices are adopted, some of the old world Japanese traditions are being lost. However, each Japanese wedding ceremony and reception is different. It is totally up to the bride and groom, with heavy parental influences on how much time-honored Japanese wedding traditions are incorporated.