The Wedding Reception Continues

Here are more scenes from the Aoki/Takahashi wedding reception that I attended October 9, 2004.

During the reception, it's customary for the parents to make the rounds of tables of guests, greeting them and pouring beer into their glasses.

Eiko and Etsuo Takahashi, the bride's parents, enjoy greeting their guests.

The bride and groom sit on a raised platform at the front of the hall, enjoying the entertainment.

Meanwhile, the groom's friends entertain the guests with a song while wearing masks of the groom's face.

The "candle ceremony" is one of the most beautiful and most moving.  By this time, the bride has left and re-entered in another dress.  The bride and groom circulate, lighting a candle at each table, then mount the platform where they light a single candle, depicting their life together as one.

One of the highlights of the reception is when the bride and groom cut the cake.  A spotlight shines on them and music plays as all the guests with cameras surround them to take a picture.

After the reception, the guests congratulate the newlyweds and their parents on their way out.  Each carries a bag with duplicate gifts from the bride and groom, often something for the home.

The bride's father and mother greet a guest.