What Does The Groom Wear To A Shinto Wedding?

A Shinto wedding is a traditional Japanese ceremony held at a Shinto shrine, where the couple, their family, and close friends attend. The bride wears a beautiful white wedding kimono called uchikake, symbolizing purity and innocence. To seal the bond, the bride wears a sumptuous white kimono called shiro-muku, symbolizing purity. The groom wears a kimono with five silk-woven family crests on both the lining and the haoricoat, a fine brocade obi, carries a fan, and wears white split-toed tabi socks and zori sandals.

The bride wears a sumptuous white kimono called uchikake with a white headdress, which is said to hide the bride’s horns as a symbol of submission. The groom’s kimono is usually black and has his family’s symbol embroidered on it in white.

Shinto weddings are small-scale affairs that involve the couple, Shinto, their families, and close friends. Many wedding rings are exchanged, and the miko performs a sacred dance. The ceremony concludes with an offering of tamagushi, a sacred branch, and a ritual sharing by all present of sake.

Kimono rentals are typically included in ceremony packages offered by Shinto priests. The bride will wear Shiromuku (white kimono) or Iro-uchikake (colored kimono) and Wataboshi (hood) or Tsunokakushi (silk paper hat) on her. The groom wears a formal haori and hakama (jacket and pants to fit over a base kimono).

In summary, a Shinto wedding is a small-scale affair involving the couple, their family, and close friends. The bride wears a sumptuous white kimono called uchikake, while the groom wears a Western-style business suit.

What do grooms wear in Japan?

In modern Japan, most grooms wear a traditional black and white outfit on their wedding day. He will wear four layers: an underkimono with decoration on the back, black and white striped pleated pants, and a pair of hakama. Most grooms in modern Japan wear a traditional black and white outfit on their wedding day. He will wear four layers on top of his underwear.

An underkimono with a decoration on the back.

A black kimono with five family crests (called a montsuki) with a sash.

What do men wear in Japanese weddings?

In modern Japan, most grooms wear a traditional black and white outfit on their wedding day. He will wear four layers: an underkimono with decoration on the back, black and white striped pleated pants, and a pair of hakama. Most grooms in modern Japan wear a traditional black and white outfit on their wedding day. He will wear four layers on top of his underwear.

An underkimono with a decoration on the back.

A black kimono with five family crests (called a montsuki) with a sash.

Do Japanese weddings have groomsmen?

Japanese weddings don’t have bridal parties or groomsmen. You don’t have to worry about choosing your maid of honor or best man. In Japan, weddings are different from in the US. This weekend, Honey will visit Sendai to celebrate the marriage of one of his old high school friends. I’ll be relaxing at home (see #10), which is a great chance to explore this topic. A wedding is for you and your family and friends. In Japan, more people are having Western-style weddings, which are more grand than traditional weddings.

I’ve noticed 12 differences between Japanese and American weddings. (#2, 3, 5, & 8 are the most interesting to me!)

What do Japanese grooms wear?

The groom wears a kimono with five crests on the lining and haori coat. He wears a fine brocade obi, carries a fan, and wears white socks and sandals. Meiji Shrine in Tokyo is one of Japan’s most important shrines. It was built to honor the Meiji Emperor and Empress Shoken. It is one of the most sacred Shinto sites in the city and sometimes hosts a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. On a recent visit, I saw one. I walked through the trees before crossing the big torii gate. I washed my hands and rinsed my mouth at the fountain by the gate. This symbolically cleansed my heart and mind to enter the sacred space.

I saw a group of about a dozen people in beautiful clothes walking across the grounds. Priests in tall hats led the way, followed by shrine maidens in red and white. Then came a groom in a kimono and a bride in a Shinto wedding dress, with an elaborate headpiece and a red parasol, trailed by their kimono-wearing attendants.

What do men wear for Japanese weddings?

A Shinzenshiki wedding is held at a shrine. At the shrine, a Shinto priest leads the service and prayers are offered. The bride and groom then drink sake from cups and offer a branch of Sakaki to the gods. That’s it for the ritual. The bride and groom wear traditional Japanese clothes. The groom wears a hakama with his family crest, and the bride wears a white kimono. In a Jinsenshiki (人前式) (also called Hitomaeshiki), the bride and groom are joined in a ceremony where guests serve as witnesses. It can be Japanese or Western, and the couple decides what to do. It can’t be held in a church or temple because it’s not religious. But a pastor or choir may be there and the Sansankudo (三々九度) may be performed. Couples often ask guests to sign the marriage certificate. No matter the style, a master of ceremonies keeps the event moving. Venue, guests, times, flow (service, reception, performances, and oronai). Wedding venues include churches and shrines, as well as hotels and restaurants that also host weddings. Some ceremonies are just for close family and friends, while others have over 100 guests. The number of guests varies by region. In some places, it’s around 300, but most weddings have between 60 and 80 guests.

What do male guests wear to Japanese weddings?

Wear what you want. Wedding guests can wear whatever they like to wedding ceremonies. While men in black suits with white ties were the norm, now people in suits with colored ties are not uncommon. Women wear dresses, usually knee-length. Some people wear long dresses if the ceremony or reception is in the evening. Whatever the wedding style, avoid showing shoulders. If you’re wearing a dress that shows your shoulders, cover them with a shawl or bolero. Black is okay, but clothes with color make the venue more fun. As long as you avoid white, black ties, and casual or outlandish clothes, you should be fine.

Goshugi (gifts). Guests should bring gift money called goshugi on the wedding day. Don’t give it to the couple directly. Leave it with the receptionists when you arrive.

What do the bride and groom wear in Japan?

In a Japanese wedding, the bride and groom wear kimonos. The bride wears a white kimono with a white headdress. The headdress is big and hides the bride’s horns. The groom’s kimono is usually black with his family’s symbol in white.

Traditional Japanese Wedding Ceremony at a Shinto Shrine.

Bride and groom pose for photos in traditional kimono.

What to wear at a Japanese wedding?

STEP 3: What to Wear. Now, think about what to wear. A formal kimono is OK at a wedding, but only if you know how to wear it. Otherwise, don’t wear white. Black and other colors are fine. Women should wear low heels and avoid showing shoulders, knees, or toes. Men should wear a black suit and tie with black shoes.

STEP 4: Who to Bring. If the invitation says you can bring a partner, bring someone you know. Your partner will either pay the same amount or a total sum that is auspicious. The invitation will usually be for one person. This may be because the bride or groom only know you, or because it’s expensive to invite couples. You may meet friends, family, and coworkers without their partners. Japanese wedding banquets start on time. The wedding procedures are fairly standard. Friends give speeches, the couple gives speeches, the ring is exchanged, vows are exchanged, the cake is cut, and the bride changes costumes several times. The couple thanks the crowd.

What is the name of the groom’s kimono?

The traditional groom wears a dark silk kimono called kuro montsuki that is the highest rank formal kimono. He wears a haori, a knee lenght loosey fitting coat with his family crest on both shoulders and on the back of the neck and both sleeves. Under the haori he wears a hakama, an ankle skirt with five pleats in the front and two in the back. The haori is closed by a haorikimo, a woven string to keep the haori together. The grooms haorikimo is white because white is the traditional ceremonies color (remember the white tie of the first part of this article?)

To the wedding hall. A few minutes before the starting of the ceremony the miko came and invited both the groom and the bride outside the waiting rooms and gave instructions to form the line for the procession, called sanshin (参進), towards the wedding hall.

Every shrine has its own rules, some, like the one we went to, require the bride and the groom to stay in the front while the groom holds an umbrella to symbolically protect the bride and behind them their families line up, in other cases the umbrella is hold bythe shrine attendants, in other cases the grooms mother walks in the front together with the couple. There are different patterns, in general right behind the couple there are the fathers, then the mothers, than close relatives, siblings, cousins and so on, and then friends of the couple.

What is the groom supposed to wear?

The type of wedding and the season or venue affect the groom’s wedding outfit. The groom-to-be has four classic wedding attire choices: morning dress, tailcoat, tuxedo, or a three-piece suit. Morning dress is for very formal daytime weddings in the UK. It includes a morning coat or half morning coat, waistcoat, and trousers. A tailcoat should be worn if tradition demands it. Morning coats are for UK weddings in the morning. Tuxedos are for formal weddings after 6 pm. The classic tuxedo with a waistband and shawl or peaked lapels, always with a silk bow tie. Read our tuxedo guide for more information. For a contemporary groom, a fancy three-piece suit is a good option. A three-piece suit lets you choose from many colors and fabrics. Your personal style is important, but you also need to consider factors like season, time, and place.

What do male guests wear to a wedding?

Black tie for men. What it means: Black tie isn’t entirely optional. Guests can wear whatever they want if they can’t wear a tuxedo. A dark suit and tie are acceptable black tie-optional wedding attire for men, but wear a tux if you can. Want to dress down? Try a black satin or black and white bow tie. You can also wear a midnight blue tuxedo instead of black. What to Wear: Black tux or midnight blue tuxedo, bow tie, white shirt, cufflinks, pocket square, and black patent leather shoes.

Creative Black Tie Men’s Attire. What it means: Creative Black Tie keeps the wedding formal but flexible. A tux is still the best option, but you can also try something different. A contrasting dinner jacket with black tux pants is a great choice, and both ties and bow ties are welcome in patterns or low-key colors. You can also wear a colorful suit.