Relatives and friends from both sides sat in rows on both sides of the temple. The groom and the bride were led in separately and sat shoulder to shoulder, side by side.
The room was quiet, and the newlyweds lowered their eyebrows and lowered their eyes. The relatives and friends watching the ceremony silently looked at the newlyweds.
The traditional wedding in front of a shrine is similar to the shrine worship ceremony. The priest who presides over the ceremony must first perform the initial purification process, which means to cleanse away the impurities and complete the next process with a pure body and mind.
Regarding every aspect of the ceremony, the staff of the shrine had already communicated with everyone before the official wedding began. Therefore, even the foreigner Shinichi Iwahashi knew how to cooperate to complete the ceremony.
The priest first recited the ecstasy, and then raised a magic weapon called a "big coin" - a wooden stick covered with white strips - and waved it. Iwahashi Shinichi had a vague impression that this thing seemed to be used to exorcise ghosts.
I've seen it in comics.
However, irrelevant thoughts flashed past. He lowered his head and cooperated to complete this ritual with a serious look.
Iwahashi Shinichi does not believe in Japanese Shintoism. Akina Nakamori, who is next to him, has naturally visited shrines since she was a child and drew fortune or misfortune, but she probably does not have any devout belief in gods.
It's just a habit of being Japanese.
However, at this moment, as I bowed my head in the temple, the expectation for the wedding in my heart naturally turned into a piety. It was an expectation for the future life, and perhaps also for the gods.
The newlyweds are under the influence of the gods.
To cleanse away the impurities and purify the body and mind. The clergy sang blessings and reported the marriage to the gods.
…
Three wine glasses ranging from small to large were placed in front of the newlyweds.
Iwahashi Shinichi held up the small wine glass, and Nakamori Akina followed. The shrine maiden held a long-handled wine bottle and filled it up for the couple. In a god-style wedding, this ceremony is called the three offerings. As the name suggests, there are three wine glasses, and drinking is done in three times.
, drink each cup three times.
In ascending order, the groom drinks the first glass of wine first, representing heaven. The bride drinks the second glass of wine first, representing earth. The groom drinks the third glass of wine first, representing people.
The etiquette of the three offerings was passed down from the samurai etiquette of the Muromachi period. It was introduced to the people in the Edo period and was used at weddings... As expected of the Edo folk who were keen on arranging the samurai family in all aspects.
After drinking these three glasses of wine, the couple exchanged wedding rings.
Exchanging Western rings at a divine wedding has become a part of the entire wedding process, and it is not that long ago. Now that Western wedding traditions are popular in Japan, exchanging wedding rings between couples has become a common practice
Conventionally, the shrine also adapts to the situation and adds this link to the process of the shrine-style wedding.
The Edo people who were keen to emulate the samurai family in everything, and the modern people who enthusiastically accepted Western culture.
The engagement ring can only be used once, so it should be gorgeous.
Wedding rings should be worn all the time, so they should be more suitable for daily wear.
When Nakamori Akina grabbed Iwahashi Shinichi's hand and helped him put the ring on his ring finger, Iwahashi Shinichi's mind pictured how she was giving him a lesson seriously on the way to order a ring with her.
The fragments that have happened form the "now" of this moment.
Iwahashi Shinichi thought of the swallows building their nests, holding mud bit by bit until they built their own nest.
After exchanging rings, the newlyweds swore an oath in front of God with their devotion to spending the future life together. As soon as Iwahashi Shinichi opened the oath, Nakamori Akina gently approached him, and the couple held the gift together.
An affidavit.
The traditional way is that the oath is read out by the groom, the head of the family, and the bride only follows her husband at the end and gives her name. However, the couple decided to work together in everything. Times have changed, and at the wedding
The details are often adjusted accordingly according to the requirements of the newcomers.
Akina Nakamori was able to tease him when answering questions about kimonos and makeup. However, this ritual could only be completed with Shinichi Iwahashi. Like Shinichi Iwahashi, she knew nothing about everything.
Every newlywed couple who holds a divine wedding will read such an oath. The content of the oath may vary depending on the region, but the content is generally the same.
Just like when taking oaths in church, every pastor will ask the same question, and the only answer is "I do."
There are similar oaths, the same "I dos," but each couple taking the oath is unique.
"We are here to swear an oath to the Lord God to become husband and wife."
Iwahashi Shinichi's voice was calm, and Nakamori Akina's voice, which always spoke softly, didn't seem to come out together with him, but rather followed him.
But in fact, it may not be just because of their respective speaking habits.
Shinichi Iwabashi always laughed at the fact that he was a foreigner, but at this time, Akina Nakamori was even more stiff. She was filled with something in her heart, and it seemed that if she raised her voice, the things filling her heart would ripple out. On the contrary, Iwabashi
Shinichi Hashi, a foreigner, showed a fearless bravery.
Feng shui rotates, the situation changes, and we don't know when it will happen.
However, for a newly established family, the head of the family is full of fearless bravery, which is reassuring. From the sound of Nakamori Akina reciting the oath, she has already deeply experienced the happiness of having someone to rely on.
"In the future, we will build a beautiful and solid family based on love and trust, sharing the joys and sorrows together."
After reading the last sentence, Nakamori Akina shut her mouth.
She waited for Shinichi Iwahashi to say his name first, and then, as if following him, he also said his name.
In life, the imagination and longing for weddings are realized in every moment of the wedding ceremony with Shinichi Iwahashi.
The flute and drum were played, and the witches in gorgeous clothes shuttled back and forth. The two people who swore to be husband and wife in front of the gods stood shoulder to shoulder and enjoyed the dance of the witches.
…
At the end of the wedding, the newlyweds and their relatives took photos in front of the golden screen that symbolized the happy event. Afterwards, the newlyweds exited under the guidance of the witch, and the wedding guests returned to the lounge first.
The formal wedding banquet, also known as the newlyweds' reveal banquet, will be held at four o'clock in the afternoon. At that time, the groom and the bride will change out of their kimonos, and the guests they will face are no longer just forty relatives and friends.
Friends, but about 600 people from all walks of life.
After returning to the room, Iwahashi Shinichi and Nakamori Akina subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as the tight strings were loosened, the couple looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.