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A Shinto wedding ceremony. A Shinto wedding ceremony is typically a small affair, limited to family, while a reception is open to a larger group of friends. [1]Shinzen kekkon, literally "wedding before the kami," is a Shinto purification ritual [2] that incorporates the exchange of sake between the couple before they are married. [1]
Marriage in Japan is a legal and social institution at the center of the household . Couples are legally married once they have made the change in status on their family registration sheets, without the need for a ceremony. Most weddings are held either according to Shinto traditions or in chapels according to Christian marriage traditions.
According to old tradition, a groom arrives with his parents at the house of his bride just before the wedding ceremony. At that time, both parents and parents-in-law give the young couple their blessing. The couple enters the church together and walks up to the altar followed by their parents and two witnesses.
The groom presents to his bride a white cloth which in turn is presented to the bride's mother. This is an expression of the groom's gratitude to his mother-in-law. The bride's mother will then present a plate of milk rice specially cooked for the occasion to the bride who feeds a portion to the groom. The groom then feeds the bride.
The third day before the wedding, is regarded as the day for gift exchanging. On this day the groom's family visits the bride's home to present her with all the gifts like clothes and jewelry. The ritual is known as Adarni. The bride herself may also go over to the groom's home for this tradition but the groom cannot do the same.
The word Gwanhonsangje (冠婚喪祭) was first used in the classic book Ye-gi (예기禮記), and has since been used in many other works describing various rites. Similar weddings and other practices have been observed since the period of the Three Kingdoms, [1] [2] although it is unclear whether the concept of a Confucian wedding ceremony was firmly established at that time.
The groom and a matchmaker will visit the bride's family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, sweetmeats and jewelry, as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of dowry) and a set of gifts as a goodwill gesture.
The wedding ceremony normally occurs at the home of the bride's family. The groom is carried on a chair along with his family to the bride's home. He then takes part in an all-night ceremony of worship while the other guests feast and celebrate. The day following the ceremony, the newly married couple travels to the home of the groom.