{"id":1319,"date":"2009-09-23T22:43:33","date_gmt":"2009-09-23T13:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-09-23\/1319"},"modified":"2009-09-23T22:43:33","modified_gmt":"2009-09-23T13:43:33","slug":"nils-ferry-and-japanese-wedding-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-09-23\/1319","title":{"rendered":"Nils Ferry, and Japanese Wedding Ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 120 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThree Actors<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Kyoto resident Nils\nFerry<\/a> is a popular<\/span> guy... in fact, he's married about 2,700 women. Only\none is actually his wife<\/a>, with the rest marrying other guys in ceremonies\nthat he's “officiated” as a “minister” over the years.<\/p>\n\n

Most Japanese weddings are complex affairs, usually involving three\nsteps: 1)<\/b> a visit<\/span> to a temple<\/span> or shrine, with only the most\nimmediate family involved, followed by 2)<\/b> a short<\/span> ceremony in a fake<\/span>\nwedding chapel, followed by 3)<\/b> a big<\/span> reception with lots of guests,\nspeeches, and alcohol.<\/p>\n\n

A large hotel usually handles steps #2 and #3, and offer the couple an\nendless array of packages and options. Besides the standard items familiar\nto westerners (e.g. how many guests, what kind of food), the couple picks a\nceremony.<\/span> Western or Japanese? American or European? Gospel or Bach?\nTrumpet or Violin? Couple enter together or bride given away by father?\nEtc., etc.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 102 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 5000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The “Western” option generally provides for a Christian<\/span>-esque ceremony,\nand Nils' job is to play the part of the minister. Much taller than me (and\nI'm 6'4\"), he cuts an imposing figure decked out in his robe, but adopts\nthe gracious and warmhearted impression of a Man<\/span> of the Cloth. (In real\nlife he is<\/i> gracious and warmhearted, so it's not a difficult<\/span> task.)\nIn his script he recites from the Bible in both Japanese and English,\ngenerally imploring and extolling the power of love to unite the couple\nthrough eternity. It's a mini<\/span> version of a real<\/span> Christian wedding, with all\nthe touch points like a grand<\/span> entrance to Here comes the Bride<\/i>, an\nexchange of vows, rings, and a “you may kiss the bride”. Twenty minutes\nfrom start to finish.<\/p>\n\n

I sometimes use the word “fake” to describe this ceremony, but that's\nunfair. Much of Japanese culture<\/i> was originally rooted in\nreligion<\/i>, but over time has become simply culture for most, in the\nsame way non-Christians in The West might still exchange presents on\nDecember 25th. This kind of “fake” Christian wedding ceremony is a modern<\/span>\ninvention in Japan, but cut from the same “religion as culture”\ncloth.<\/p>\n\n

That being said, today's ceremony really was fake, because it was a\ndemonstration<\/span> for prospective couples considering having their wedding at\nthe Westin Miyako<\/a>, widely regarded as the premier hotel in\nKyoto. The bride<\/span> and groom were hotel staff wrangled to play the part,\nwhile others (Nils as the minister, an organist, a singer,<\/span> and a trumpet<\/span>\nplayer) were from an agency that has a contract<\/span> with the hotel.<\/p>\n\n

Today was the last day of a long<\/span>\nfive-day weekend<\/a>, and Nils was busy every day saying weddings\n(sometimes 10 a day!<\/span>). Indeed, he had some this morning, but this\nafternoon was the demonstration, which are held periodically. Sometimes\nthere are 30 couples in attendance, and sometimes only a few.<\/span> Today was\nonly a few.<\/span>..<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + 14-24mm f\/2.8 @ 19 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 2500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBusiness Is Slow<\/span>\non the last day of a five-day weekend\n<\/div>\n\n

I visit with Nils every so often, to let our kids\nplay together<\/a> or to go on a photo<\/span> hunt<\/a> in some corner of Kyoto or another (most\nrecently a couple<\/span> of weeks ago to Rengeji Temple<\/a>), but today\nwas the first I've been able to accept his invitation to see him at work.<\/p>\n\n

Some more scenes of Nils at work...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 140 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 3600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 80 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 5600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 110 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The lady throwing the rose pedals is a singer<\/span> belonging to the same\nagency as Nils. She sang Ave Maria<\/i> and was simply stunning<\/b>. It brought<\/span> me back to my own wedding<\/a> 11+ years ago (also in Kyoto, but at a\nreal<\/span> Catholic church) because we also had Ave Maria<\/i> sung.<\/p>\n\n

I was a real cheapskate back then, and deeply regret that I didn't<\/span>\nspring for a photographer<\/span> for my own wedding. What I'd give now to have a\nphoto<\/span> like the above from my own wedding. \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n\n

As the happy couple left on their 1-minute honeymoon (presumably all the\nway to the employee entrance of the hotel), other hotel staff accompanied\nthe engaged couples on the rest of the hotel tour, and Nils stayed behind,\nregal as always, until they were out of sight...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 90 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When I first moved to Kyoto in 2004, Nils was the premier Kyoto\nphoto-blogger. However, an eventual byproduct of the first<\/i> woman he\nmarried (his wife) resulted in him becoming a\ndaddy,<\/span> and with that, his blogging output declined considerably. Greg<\/a>\nwill start first grade next year, and so perhaps Nils will have time to get\nback into photo-blogging Kyoto.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kyoto resident Nils Ferry is a popular guy... in fact, he's married about 2,700 women. Only one is actually his wife, with the rest marrying other guys in ceremonies that he's \"officiated\" as a \"minister\" over the years.<\/p>

Most Japanese weddings are complex affairs, usually involving three steps: 1)<\/b> a visit to a temple or shrine, with only the most immediate family involved, followed by 2)<\/b> a short ceremony in a fake wedding chapel, followed by 3)<\/b> a big reception with lots of guests, speeches, and alcohol.<\/p>

A large hotel usually handles steps #2 and #3, and offer the couple [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}