DORÉ

This is so lovely.
I love that you can sort of see her smile.
In many cultures, including my own, traditionally a bride is not supposed to smile on her wedding day, because she should look demure. Forget that noise, I smiled all day long, and I’m glad this bride is as well. :)

xoxo
~Natasha Fatah~
http://www.natashafatah.blogspot.com

M
A
G
I
Q
U
E !!!! Quelle élégance !!!! Alys
http://toulonmontrealmalmoe.wordpress.com

I saw a marriage too at Meiji!!! It was one of the most amazing moments of my life, a dream coming true! I saw the whole ceremonial walk outside the temple and it was breathtaking… and made a video+around 4567 photos of it!

I’m so happy you’re enjoying Japan, I can tell it from your photos!

Al

Magnifique?
http://n-julie.blogspot.fr/

Wow! All the things you said. And also… phallic. Right? Is it just me?

http://nomadic-d.blogspot.com/

Weddings at Meiji jingu are quite common, if you hang around a while you can se two-three on a Sunday or Saturday :) Also, they always seem comfortable with people taking pictures and the whole wedding procession is sooo beautiful! It’s nice to stay for a while and look at the grooms and brides as well as the guests in gorgeous kimonos and rest your feet at the same time :)

this hairdo is absolutely insane!! I guess the cultural shock is what makes Japan even better, right?

http://brandnewbyanna.blogspot.com

Magnifique …

definitely something that you don’t see every day. not even on the streets of new york! lucky girl visiting all of these new and different cities.
xx, http://wordbyjessie.com/

This is what I love about japanese fashion, both old and new: sublimely weird and unique.

Elisa

Wandering Minds fashion

http://www.ourwanderingminds.com

Incredibly sublime.

What a beauty! Fabulous photo, Garance.

Besos,
Lela
Fashion Blog – Lela London

I check in on your site most days and always enjoy your style but this Toyko series is by far the most wonderful. You simply capture the best.

You should think also of making books, the light is amazing!
Looking foreward to see more.

Patricia from Santa Cruz

http://www.patriciayclea.com

Ah, I witnessed a wedding at Meiji temple too, it was so incredible! The kimono, the makeup, the hairdo, the parasol, the procession…stunning picture!

xx

http://brigadeirochoc.blogspot.com

http://www.peutetremagazine.com

Well, it really is pretty but it looks… heavy?

C’est superbe et encore rempli de traditions japonnaises.

http://happyme.skynetblogs.be/

It’s so great that we are so different and we should keep this difference!
She is really beautiful and you can see the happiness on her face.

http://zuramode.wordpress.com

FEBS indeed. I think you have just coined a new acronym -FEBS: fantastic,extraordinary, bizarre and sublime.

Quelle chance d’avoir pu avoir un aperçu de ce moment extraordinaire ! Cette coiffure est juste … SUBLIME !

xx

http://en-mode-parisienne.com

Wow! This is art!

Nomadic D, I kind of agree with you on the phallic though :)

C’est génial d’avoir su conserver ces costumes traditionnels à côté de la débauche des tendances fast-consommation dont le Japon est friand. À Asakusa, j’avais vu des geishas, accompagnées d’une maiko, mais pas osé les arrêter pour les prendre en photo ; je me suis dit qu’on devait assez les embêter comme ça. Regrets …

I love her hairdo!! Very Japanese!!

http://www.reyofglam.com

Amazing! Does the hair/accessories have any symbolism? Or is each bride free to style her hair as she pleases?

http://www.fashionpastiche.com/

Love the contrast, one day a fearless girl,
next a very traditional bride.
You are capturing all the magic…

It so beautifull!

xoxo

http://www.lolitainthemix.blogspot.com

Wow, quelle chance d’etre au Japon. Elle est ravissante cette marriee.

It is definitely a form of art!

Le Japon restera à mes yeux un des pays les plus fascinants, je pourrais admirer la coiffure de cette jeune mariée pendant des heures!

Ces femmes ont une élégance folle !

xx

http://placedesvictoires.over-blog.com/

First of all, it is a wig, known as takashimada katsura, made out of human hair, that is why it looks so perfect. How do I know? I am one of the few female westerners who got married at Meiji Shrine in Harajuku. It is extremely heavy and huge in size (they are made to fit average Japanese women head, which is about 2-3 sizes bigger than my head, that’s what my Japanese lady-in-waiting told me, but when I tried all the wigs during the wig and kimono fitting, and I tried 5 or 6 wigs, all of them were just huge on my head, not even the smallest wig they had fitted, so I had to wear some cotton underneath it, and still felt wobbly and seemed as if I had no forehead… not to mention that you have to bow a lot during the ceremony, and I had to be extremely careful as I felt I could drop it as it was loose… and the wedding kimono(uchikake) had 4 layers, plus the fake layers, and was heavy as well, i guess it weighed 10 kilos. I also wore a lighter version( not as pale white as the lady in the picture) of kabuki-like white make-up on my face, back, neck… It takes 2 hours and a half to get ready, but the real problem is going to the toilet (LOL). Two ladies-in waiting had to hold my kimono while in the toilet. Second, there is nothing phalic about its shape and it has a name: it is called tsuno kakushi, or hiding horns, and it is hard to explain its roots, apparently people started wearing the tsuno kakushi during Edo period, and I heard 2 explanations (sorry if I am wrong: the first one is that the oni-yome or the bride-devil wanted to hide her horns (or sins) under her hair so no one would realize she was a devil… the second explanation it is related to the Noh theather, apparently a woman who is jealous or grumpy would grow horns, and she would look like a devil (oni) and they would use horns as a way to hide her jealous personality and or to help her to avoid being jealous or looking grumpy.
Anyway, these wigs are heavily decorated with kazari and kanzashi (flowers, combs, pins, mine had kanzashi with cranes, just like my white silk kimono) and they used to be all black hair color, but recently one might find takashimada katsura wigs with lighter shades of hair color. They do look perfect and it does not take a lot of time to wear them, if they fit properly on your head…Also, I worn a white cover over the wig, called wata boushi, which was only worn at Meiji Shrine ceremonies in the past, but nowadays can be worn in wedding ceremonies held in other shinto shrines as well.

La coiffure de la mariée est magnifique!