Bride and Groom Western-Style

We live on Platinum Street with its many wedding chapels and very fancy cars (I don't even know the names of some they are so expensive.)  For several blocks it is quite a wedding promenade.  Brides and grooms in western-style gowns and tuxedos, along with crowds of resplendently-coiffed, exquisitely-dressed women and dark-suited men mill about before and after each event  Today we caught a bride and her groom just before entry.   They were delighted that I took their photo and gave me very happy smiles.  Unfortunately vending machines and trash cans are the back drop because they hadn't quite reached the red carpeted steps and water fountains. 

Many families sacrifice a tremendous amount financially to provide both a Japanese wedding for family and close friends, AND a western wedding for a much wider circle of friends and family.  The western wedding service is often performed in a mixture of English and Japanese and includes religious elements borrowed from a typical Protestant wedding ceremony.  It is easy to see into the large windows from the street to get glimpses of the ceremonies and receptions.  Often the chapel is candle-lit and the procession includes bridesmaids, groomsmen and sometimes children.  There are vows and an exchange of rings.  I don't know how often prayers are offered and Bible passages are read.   The romantic receptions look like cheerful events with tables full of food, elegant decorations, activities and games, toasts, and many-tiered cakes.   The guests who arrived with fancy envelopes of money, return home with bags of gifts from the bride and groom.  It is expected that much of the money the couple receives in cash gifts will be returned to the guests in the form of showy gifts!