Aww, thank you, everyone. We got married in Nagoya, Japan (about two hours from Tokyo by bullet train; hubs's family is from there). A few weeks later we had a very informal ceremony/party back in the States.
Anne, you are right that Japanese weddings can be over-the-top, with the bride changing three times or more! Actually, it's very common. In my case, our wedding was very downsized--my family didn't even attend--and I think all I wore was the kimono.
Ironkurtin, heh, I am a shortie, as is my husband. I can't remember why we rented this kimono, and neither could hubs. Unfortunately my mother-in-law passed on a few years back so there's no way of asking her. Fruitful, I'm not disappointed about it, just suddenly confused now that I realize it is not a traditional wedding kimono. Tomoko-san's kimono is spectacular, but again, that would be the standard for weddings (which are huge extravaganzas in Japan, almost always).
I just let my husband's family take over the whole thing and do whatever they wanted. I was not a player--I had a very passive role in it, actually. I had more pressing things on my mind (my daughter was born three months later--that's when my parents flew in to meet her). So they have common themes, but all Japanese weddings are NOT alike. Tomoko-san and Brian's wedding looks like it was incredibly beautiful and affirming of friendship, love and the joy in their lives.
