Beyond the bridge at Harajuku where the young people have their Sunday dress up fun is a park housing the Meiji Shrine. The shinto shrine is beautiful and there were at least 4 weddings in progress while we were there, I was fascinated to watch the wedding photographers and their assistants adjusting the traditional bridal attire and pose of the bride and groom for photos. The posing for many of the pro shots was so intricate, a pluck at a fold here and adjust of the drape of the fabric there, carefully adjusting the angle of the hand holding a fan.
It was all the more striking having the young characters in costume nearby and then this wonderful Shinto shrine and elaborate weddings.
Canon EOS 30E 35mm SLR Kodak ISO400 film scanned Epson Perfection V600
@tigerdreamer I understand white kimono is quite common and traditional for brides in Japan - of the 4-5 weddings I saw that day all but one were in white kimonos. Japanese brides will often change into a western style wedding dress at the reception. I read somewhere that the white kimono is symbolic of the "death" of her old life/family and the beginning of the new one.
@peterdegraaff apparently this hood is supposed to hide a bride's demon horns (of jealousy) from her mother-in-law (or alternative reason is that it is to shield the bride from jealous eyes) - and symbolises her intention to be a gentle and obedient wife
Thanks for sharing, love all the information ...thats an amazing headdress ...hope they are happy, maybe they are on the inside because nobody is smiling!!
