At 08:13 PM 9/4/96 -0400, you wrote:

I was wondering if anyone knows how a traditional Japanese 
wedding goes. I would like to include it in a future fanfic and want to 
start searching now, just in case.

	Thanks a lot

	Joseph "Ashira" Kohle

To begin with, I believe the bride wears red because
white is a symbol of death in Japan, whereas its a symbol of purity in most
Western cultures. And like most other Japanese rituals, the wedding is
probably a very formalistic occasion.

I think white is the standard colour for traditional weddings - I saw one 
in progress at Nikko, and there was also a magazine feature on weddings. 
The wedding I saw was probably unusually traditional and formal because 
it was actually held in one of the temples at Nikko - one of _the_ 
temples. Outsiders were able to look in through the open doors. 

It was, predictably, long, solemn, and with 'difficult' traditional 
music. The priests droned a lot, and there were long silent pauses. The 
bride's appearance and demeanour were formal perfection the entire time. 
Even though the groom wore a very elegant kimono (black on top, white 
with narrow indigo stripes on the bottom, fading into white at his waist 
(it almost shimmered)), he looked almost casual in comparison with the 
bride. (Maybe it was his glasses.) The priests wore shinto-priest-like 
things (sorry), and the other men wore dark jackets and pants. The women 
wore expensive-looking kimonos of various colours. When they left the 
temple, some of them looked a little relieved, almost smiling, but the 
bride continued to... concentrate. It was a very solemn, meditative 
affair --from the outside, anyway. But visually stunning...