Professional Photographer. Brisbane | Australia | Worldwide. Weddings, editorial, commercial, portraits, events and fine art photography.
Jane and Daisuke got married the first time around in Melbourne a year or more ago. When they moved back to Tokyo to be closer to his widowed mother, the Japanese family suggested that a Japanese-style wedding here in Tokyo for them to attend would be a wonderful thing since they weren’t able to make it to the first wedding, and in Japan it’s not so uncommon to have a couple of weddings…
There is the Town Hall wedding, often completed as a mundane task with no celebrations at all – it’s just paperwork. Then there is the family style wedding, sometimes at a shrine, but mostly at a wedding hotel, followed by a sit down lunch/dinner that usually requires a couple of changes of clothes for the couple and is full of pomp and ceremony and structure and silliness and boooooooze. Then, the couple usually head on to a second wedding party, this one just for friends, many of whom can’t afford to attend the main wedding (you pay to go to weddings here, instead of buying gifts). These nijikai’s (second party) are always a hoot, and are often where the couples friends get a chance to pick up a new date/marriage prospect….
Jane and Daisuke’s Japanese wedding involved 2 hours-worth of being dressed up in formal kimono’s and hakuma’s, and going to a shrine for a ceremony with 2 buddhist priests and a shrine maiden. Jane even got her own personal hand-maiden for the day (and genuinely needed the support as she struggled in and out of taxi’s and low chairs). The process was fascinating and I was so happy to be there for them as they made their way through the day with a fairly healthy level of nerves. Jane looked absolutely GORGEOUS, as did Daisuke, and I was delighted when they told me over and over how relaxed they felt with me as their photographer.
Having these kinds of photographic chances are not so common, and I was really excited to get the chance to photograph a really traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. They are SO very different to western-style weddings and receptions.
Thanks so much to Jane and D. for trusting me to be your wedding photographer and extra special thanks for that nijikai and the ensuing almighty nihonshu hangover.
You can see more images from the wedding at my Wedding Gallery album.
PS: the gorgeous wedding website Wedding Nouveau did a feature on Jane & Daisuke’s wedding!
Photographer of Weddings, Portraits, Editorial, Commercial and Fine Art. Based in Brisbane + Port Douglas. Working throughout Qld, Australia and Worldwide.Widescreen theme by Graph Paper Press. All content © 2012 by Martine Cotton Photography
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