Kanazawa Japan | Wedding Photography

Miho and Dave's wedding day finally arrived.  It was a perfect day.  Nice and cool, cloudy, and not raining :-)

The oldest Shrine in the city was looking great.


Back at their apartment I took a few pictures of them getting ready including this one of the gown she was going to be changing into after the ceremony.


After I photographed the rings they explained to me that an artist friend of Dave's designed the engraved artwork on the rings.  They further explained that if you hold the rings together the fire from the dragon form the shape of a heart.  I'm so sad I didn't get to photograph it that way!


Miho and Dave went to a kimono shop to get dressed in their kimonos.  I was not aware that you are not able to dress yourself because the process is so complex and difficult.  It was really awesome to get to witness the process.


Back at the shrine there is a wish/prayer place.  You put 100 yen in a basket then take a wooden board and write a wish or prayer on it then hang it with the others.  Mine was the only english one I saw.


Inside Miho waited for the ceremony to begin.


But before the ceremony they went outside to greet their guests.  I love this shot as she's walking out and seeing some guests for the first time.


Their friends were snapping pictures as they paraded through the grounds.


Greeting Dave's Mother and Brother.


Back inside it was time to get down to business.  They signed some documents...


And then it was time to head into the shrine for the ceremony.


Dave smiling at Miho across the alter.


A slightly different set of musicians than I'm used to.


The tea ceremony is a big part of the overall ceremony.


After the ceremony there was a parade where all of the guests followed Dave and Miho up the hill to Kanazawa Castle.


At this point there was a small break before we needed to be back at the restaurant where the reception was going to be.




Dave and Miho presented their parents with a gift of a digital frame that was pre loaded with pictures of them from when they were kids up to the pre wedding photos we took two days before the wedding.


When the reception was over I barely made it back in the cab before falling asleep!  This trip and experience of photographing a Japanese wedding was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just can't thank Miho and Dave enough.

If you are interested in reading more about my trip you can read my blog posts here, here, and here.