little things that made our wedding extra special

Every wedding is more or less the same. It's the little things that add up to an unforgettable day. We put a lot of thoughts into the wedding and its preparation. Here are some of the things that you, if planning for one in the future, might find useful. Following are what worked for us:

shinto ceremony

If you're in Japan, don't do a western ceremony. All the churches in Japan have a tiny teeny chapel. The scene is unspectacular at best. I understand why the Japanese tend to do that because they like all things Western. We had a fantastic experience at a local shrine (luckily a proper one). Its total size is at least 20 times of a typical church here. The ceremony hall is so majestic it commands our respect.

a slide show
Mix your pictures with music and video clips from your family and friends who can't make it. Use a projector or a large TV in the lobby so everyone can see it. And when the guests are waiting to go inside, they have something to talk about.

a dessert buffet

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Why have one dessert? have a few, in fact have 10. When your guests stand up and walk around, they have a chance to mingle with everybody else.

candle lighting

The atmosphere is great. We go to all the tables to light their candles so to greet everybody individually. After all the candles are lit, the guests stand and blow them out on a count of three, wishing the couple good luck. Then the room goes very dark for a moment.

surprises

My wife says I suck at surprises. I bought a black diamond ring (They're less expensive than other diamonds and are not coal.) but insisted we won't waste more money on gift for each other. Boy was she touched when I proposed to her at the end of the wedding! No one proposes to his bride at the wedding, EVER. That's exactly why I did it. I didn't ask her to marry me. That would be silly. Instead it's more like a vow but the rest is pretty much the same... down on my knee. The first time I proposed to her, (with a proper diamond ring) it didn't quite work out the way I planned it.


We had a surprise fireworks display show. It was at the end when everybody is drunk and fed. They step outside expecting a present but they got an eyeful of colors exploded in the night sky. A pyrotechnic team costs quite a bit but certainly worth it if you can arrange one. Our photo cameras didn't catch the high-flying ones. Its entirety is on video but it hard to stick cameras out when it rains.

alcohol

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Don't wait until they're seated to start pouring their glasses. Start the first moment they set foot in the premises. Of course all you can drink and arranged transports would be a plus. The quicker they're drunk, the more fun they'll have. (for most people)

a personal touch

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In Japan they give out "petite" gifts when the guests leave to thank them for coming. Kazumi and I roasted our coffee beans for that purpose. My father-in-law is a coffee roaster and I help out sometimes so we have access to a coffee roasting machine.