The Wedding in Tokyo

Yesterday, I attended the most beautiful, most fun, wedding ever. The bride and her brother were my English students when I lived in Hokkaido. The last time I saw her was a year ago, when she visited me and we went out to lunch. I was honored when she invited me to her wedding and asked me to make a speech during the reception.

The event began with a church service wedding ceremony. It seemed very much like Christian services I attended in the US, with a minister, and an organ playing What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and 1 Corinthians 13. 

After that we moved from the chapel to the reception.

After everyone was seated, the bride and groom made their entrance. The bride looks like a princess!

There was a toast and a couple of speeches. I gave mine in English, and one of the bride’s friends (who is a real translator), translated it into Japanese.

The happy couple cut a piece of cake.

The groom fed the bride a dainty bite of cake, followed by the bride using a large spoon to feed her husband a large piece of cake!

The meal was wonderful! The staff made some meatless substitutions for me and were so kind and polite.

The bride’s grandmother was interviewed and she was so cute!

I was seated at the table in the middle front, with the interpreter and her husband, two of the bride’s friends, and the meteorologist.  I’m not sure, but he may have been one of her professors. This is the bride’s guests side of the room.

This is the groom’s side.

This is the bride’s brother, who is finished with university and in the working world.  I was very happy to see him again.

The bride and groom and some of the groom’s friends.

Midway through the Japanese wedding reception, the bride changes dresses.

More interviews of the happy couple.

One of the bride’s friends is an opera singer.The bride played the piano and the friend sang.

The bride and groom with their parents.

My table mates.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye.