Wedding Gowns

Japanese Wedding Gowns

The Japanese culture abounds in exotics and because of this many travelers from around the world choose Japan as a goal of their trips. While being in Japan, especially if it is spring or fall season, it may be possible to come across a Japanese wedding and you will be quite impressed to find out how a traditional wedding reveals the Japanese customs in this matter. Many of the weddings are held in wedding halls where shrines are located in order to perform the religious service. They can as well be located in the hotel where you reside and in this way it could much easier for you to witness such an event. You have to know that Japanese wedding ceremonies may be Christian, Buddhist or Shinto and it is up to the wedding couple to choose the religion.

But the weddings to reflect the best the Japanese bridal spirit are the ones held in traditional Japanese style, this one being known as Shinto-style where brides wear the Japanese wedding gown called shiromuku – a white kimono robe which is worn throughout the wedding ceremony and the uchikake – an elaborate patterned silk brocade kimono to be worn over the shiromuku at the wedding reception. In the last part of the wedding, meaning at the reception, the couple sits on a stage and enjoy the performances of their invitees. Everybody present there sings in order to present their congratulations to the married couple celebrating the act of their marriage.

At a closer look, the uchikake is displaying the essence of the Japanese garments that were originally worn by court nobles. The kimono is made out of silk and silk brocade with fine embroidered patterns that describe scenes of pines, cranes, flowers or simply nature motifs. The most popular color for a kimono is known to be red, but one can meet different colors available from sea green to imperial purple with embellishments of patterns that are a delight for the eyes.  We don’t have to forget the accessories that are actually part of the Japanese wedding gown, one of which is the small purse in a style of a sack called hakoseko with kaiken – a small encased sword and a fan that the bride is wearing in the obi belt to symbolize a future happiness. The hair of the Japanese brides is also made in a style to complement the style of the wedding gown, and this hair style is called bunkin-takashimada which is adorned with gold combs and other accessories in the form of golden flowers or tiny golden bows.

Famous fashion designers have emerged from Japan with their oriental style in creating dresses that bear a strong Japanese kimono influences. In the bridal sector the fashion designers have succeeded in creating wedding gowns to combine the elements of a kimono with elements of a modern Western style wedding dress. This audacious combination lead to creating wedding gowns that confer the bride a note of the secretive air of a geisha mixed with the elegance of a nowadays classy design.11