A Tokyo Wedding... Pt 3 The Reception Begins

Following the wedding ceremony, of course is the reception, or kekkon hiroen. So, we quickly make our way to the tables, and await the bride and groom... The one thing that you quickly realise about Japanese weddings is that they love the GRAND ENTRANCE... and indeed it's a great feeling to see the newly married couple arrive at the reception for the first time. I'm sure they were so happy (and I'm sure just a little nervous still).

H-kun's parents watched on with great pride...

Okaasan

And perhaps some sense of the passage of life, as a new chapter in their son's life begins..

Otousan

There are typically lots of speeches at wedding receptions - but the best one is the kanpai! speech (kanpai means cheers... sort of)... and the raising of glasses to the newly married couple. It's an important part of any wedding, and I'm sure one that's a nerve-wracking experience for the person giving it. How much to say?.... What stories to tell... How embarrassing can it be (it's not really supposed to be though). The main thing is this... to introduce the kanpai!... a part that I enjoyed very much (*hic*)... possibly why I took so many photos that didn't turn out...

The kampai speech

H-kun however looks like all the right things are being said... so mission success.

Through the guests, the beautiful bride looks on... It's an odd thing, but the immediate family tables tend to be at the back (or at least from my experience), so you don't necessarily get the best view. Having a long lens can help, however...

S-chan takes a moment to reflect. It's been a long road to this moment, but finally it's here.

Kanpai!... 

And finally they can start to relax a little.

And enjoy the exuberance of being in love... weddings are such great days, but you can easily forget how much hard work went into it.

Here's a look at the head-piece from behind. It's a lot of work to get ready for a Japanese wedding - and often this can take several hours for the kimono/hair... but perhaps that's normal for weddings, wherever you are.

A very happy husband. Well done, H-kun!

Here's a photo of the family... a little blurred...one of the problems with a camera that tends to focus on the closest thing. Actually the wedding really did highlight to me the difference between a DSLR and a point and shoot camera. Unfortunately, I've still got years of P&S training to overcome.

The brides family... 

The bride and groom depart!... for the time being.

(Note - due to some major Blogger problems, these posts have been quite delayed. I hope their problems have been resolved... and it's just reminded me on how we become dependent on such services. It's both the power and vulnerability of the modern digital age)