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11:54:33
Just to make absolutely sure everyone understands exactly where we are, here's an initial picture of Miyajima's famous "umi no tori" - which roughly translates as sea gate.
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11:54:48
As you can see the skies were unfortunately a bit grey and murky but at least the rain held off!
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13:16:17
So here's a picture of me and Chie just after changing into our traditional Japanese wedding costumes, standing on the decks (if that's the right word?) of Itsukushima shrine.
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13:19:45
Chie and her little sister Yuka, also in traditional Japanese costume.
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13:20:31
Chie with her parents.
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13:21:44
This is Chie Yaniyagiya-san, our wedding organiser, who was jolly nice indeed.
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13:22:35
Also a picture of us both with Nagao-kun, our photographer for the day, also a jolly nice chap.
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13:25:12
The sign outside the waiting room for the main wedding group - I was rather pleased to see my name here!
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14:06:00
There follow a few pictures taken during the Shinto ceremony itself - I gave my camera to David who had a bit of a hard time getting a good place to see from! So anyway, here's me entering the ceremony room.
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14:06:16
Me walking up to the sort of altar thing...
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14:06:29
...and Chie following behind (apparently this is the tradition in Japan - who am I to argue with that?).
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14:07:31
This gives a bit of an idea of the layout of the room where the ceremony was held - the family sit on two rows of seats, and Chie and I were at the front (just off the left hand side of the photo here) with the priests etc.
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14:11:27
At various points during the ceremony there were short bursts of traditional Japanese music, and here are the musicians.
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14:19:14
A bit blurred and difficult to see unfortunately (lighting was difficult in this room) but this is the bit where Chie and I have to do a sort of sake drinking ritual. Clearly a bit of a highlight for me!
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14:20:25
A bit of detail of the interior design.
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14:23:22
Here we're standing at the front reading out the Shinto equivalent of wedding vows.
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14:27:52
Towards the end of the ceremony the whole family are also served with sake.
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14:28:49
I think this is the final bow at the end of the ceremony (or maybe the final Kanpai!?).
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14:32:30
Here we are now emmerging from the ceremony and greeting our guests.
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14:32:39
Albeit a bit blurred, oddly I quite like this picture of my friend Tanaka-san looking with what seems to be slight bewilderment at my costume...
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14:32:57
This is a nice side-on shot of Chie as she processes out from the ceremony.
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14:33:45
My friend David from work and his wife Megumi-san.
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14:33:56
David and Tanaka-san.
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14:34:27
Here's all the guests now processing out into the open air for a round of photographs.
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14:34:49
Obviously the official camera man was standing face on for all of these pictures, but these "unofficial" group shots all appear to have been taken at a bit of an angle. So anyway, here's me, Chie along with her parents, grandparents and little sister.
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14:35:00
Same setup again.
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14:35:08
Chie and I spent a lot of time having slight adjustments made to our posture and costumes by the cameraman and assorted assistants.
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14:35:37
A gaggle of wedding guests with the main shrine building behind them.
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14:35:51
I think David still had the camera here and had chosen to , err, experiment with composition a bit.
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14:36:47
A bit hard to see the wood for the trees here! Obviously the official photographs will look a bit more like the sort of shots you'd usually expect at a wedding...!
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14:38:01
Women in Japan put a lot of effort into doing their hair when going to weddings, and I feel this picture may have been paying hommage to that.
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14:38:09
David and Megumi-san again - I guess Tanaka-san is in posession of the camera now.
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14:39:06
I have to admit I enjoyed all the attention from our guests, being in Japan they of course all had their own cameras with them. Felt a bit like being a film star for a day.
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14:39:20
Me, Chie and her uncle Masa-aki-san.
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14:41:24
A big group shot with all Chie's friends in.
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14:41:44
I think Haruka-kun was notably missing from the first picture, and so this was taken to compensate for that.
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14:42:48
I really like this final picture of me in Japanese costume - with Tanaka-san, and the "umi no tori" behind us.
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15:10:51
After a quick change of attire, it was off to the good ship Ginga (or Galaxy in English) for the reception - it seemed only appropriate to get in a picture of this fine vessel.
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16:01:16
Me and Chie on the decks, in our second set of costumes (very typical for a Japanese wedding).
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16:01:24
Another shot in the same place, a bit blurred but I think I actually prefer it over the first.
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16:29:04
In the reception on the boat now - I was really busy with assorted greetings, speeches etc and so hardly got any time to take any pictures. Anyway, here's a picture of the divinely cute Kittichan - Dale and Erina's little girl.
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16:29:30
There was a great turn out from Chie's friends - here we've got Hiromuchan, Kanako, Junchan and Hide-san.
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18:32:10
...and that's it as far as pictures (on my camera at least) of the reception go. I told you I was busy! This is actually taken back in the dress hire place later on - I wanted to get one last shot in our costumes.
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18:32:41
...oh and another one including Chie's Mum and her friend.
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20:07:43
So after yet another change of clothes, here we are at the "nijikai" - the second party, which is just for the couple's friends. Here's Niga-san, Manachan and Aoki-san. Aoki-san has to be the Olympic champion for being fashionably late - he managed to miss not only the ceremony but the main reception as well, and so was basically just there for the final party...
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20:08:03
Actually until some time after 8 there were only a few of us there at the nijikai - basically just two of Chie's friends and the people I'd invited. Everyone else seemed to take ages over getting changed etc...
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20:29:00
...finally though by 8:30 it seems the majority of people had arrived...
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20:29:10
From left to right, Hiromuchan, Junchan, Kanako, Masashi-san and Yumippe.
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20:31:30
A few more of Chie's friends including Kayochan and Junchan.
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20:32:27
Erm, seems to be the same group of people as the picture-before-last.
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20:32:47
Me and Haruka-kun, who was brimming with enthusiasm and a thoroughly great wedding guest throughout the whole day. I think he said omedeto gozaimasu (congratulations) on average once every four minutes right from start to finish.
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21:14:12
A sneaky peek over to smoker's corner.
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21:43:32
Me and Chie's little sister Yuka-chan.
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21:44:42
Another (somewhat jumbled) group shot similar to the one before, but this time with Chie in as well.
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21:45:32
I still maintain that the ketchup bottle was an inspired addition to this photo.
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22:49:08
Me and David, looking a bit odd.
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00:12:08
Well I think we're coming towards the end now, and so just time for a few last group shots... here's me with Aoki-san and Tanaka-san, friends from work. The three of us had all worked closely together on the same project over the last year or so, and I think this may actually be the only "team shot" I've got.
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00:13:02
Another shot of me with star wedding guest Haruka-kun - honestly, he could make a business out of it!
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00:14:07
The classic Japanese "ryoutei ni hana" (a flower in each hand) shot.
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00:17:14
It seemed necessary to expand this notion out somewhat...
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00:17:25
...nice!
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00:58:06
A last shot with me and Aoki-san taken outside the pub, before we said our farewells for the evening.
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01:20:02
Back at the hotel we did a round of the guests rooms delivering wedding presents (in Japan the couple also give presents to the guests), and as they were all sitting so nicely I felt a picture was in order.
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01:31:02
A final shot of me and Chie (in our third outfits of the day).
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