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Oi gente!!! Tudo bem?
A wedding is a happy occasion. Depending on the country, the way of wedding ceremony varies.
In Japan, there are Shinto wedding ceremony and church wedding ceremony. On the other hand, it is mainly held in church in Brazil. 90% of Brazilians are Christian, hence it makes sense.
By the way, Brazil is a Catholic country, and more than half of the national holidays are Christian holidays. Compared to that, the Japanese view of religion is interesting, isn't it? When I first came to Japan, I didn't understand the meaning of the word 'Yaorozu-no-Kami"-meaning "eight hundred gods", but the Japanese idea that all things can be gods is very interesting.
Aside from that, there are various procedures to hold a wedding ceremony in Brazil, but the general flow before the ceremony is
Check your ID
Take a bride and groom lecuture
Receive baptism
Others (Depending on the church, the flow varies.)
When it comes to wedding rings, Japan and Brazil have differences as well. In Brazil, most wedding rings are gold rings but Japanese people prefer platinum rings.
I lived in Brazil about 30 years ago, and at that time, many Japanese immigrants held their wedding receptions at a place called "KAIKAN". "KAIKAN" is a building that looks like a gymnasium, and it was used for Karaoke party, Japanese traditional events and so on.
In those days, it was a normal that hundreds of people came together to celebrate a wedding. I heard that Japan also had flashy weddings during the bubble economy era in 1980s and early of 1990s. Newlyweds preferred to use Gondola to come into the reception arena with a slew of dry ice smoke. Celebrities' weddings have also been covered extensively by the media.
At the weddings of Japanese immigrants, women prepared Japanese food such as sushi rolls, simmered dishes, tempura, sashimi, steamed buns, and many other Brazilian dishes. It was a very homely atmosphere for the wedding ceremony by preparing the home cooking. Japanese style wedding ceremony was a great occasion to recall good old days in Japan with fondness for the first-generation of Japanese immigrants who came to Brazil before and after the world war II. Therefore, they tried to maintain traditional style of Japanese weddings for their decedents even in Brazil .
At wedding receptions in those days, it was customary to cut the groom's necktie into small pieces and give them to the guests in exchange for money (congratulatory gift). The newlyweds used the money for their honeymoon.
In Brazil, there is no custom to give back gifts as an return for the money unlike in Japan. Newlyweds commonly give simple "sweets" or "containers" to their guests when they leave.
But things have changed, and Japanese immigrants are now mostly third and fourth generation. The style of weddings is also changing. "KAIKAN" still exists, but fewer people hold their weddings in there. In addition, due to the progress of digitalization and the impact of the corona virus pandemic, the style of weddings has changed significantly.
Invitations become electronic. The money (congratulatory gift) are sent to newlyweds in advance by credit card or bank transfer. Unlike Japan, there is no general price of congratulatory gift. The amount of money varies from person to person.
When I arrived at the wedding hall, I showed QR code (electronic invitation) in my smartphone that was sent through the Whatsapp (similar to Line in Japan) , then I got security checkup. After that, it could enter the venue.
The style of the wedding ceremony varies depending on the budget and circumstances, but the clothes of the participants are quite gorgeous and sexy✨✨. Regarding clothing, it is often written in the invitation, and it is indicated by the following expression in Portuguese.
Traje esporte fino; (Men) Blazers and chinos (no tie) , (Women) A slightly fashionable dress
Traje social; (Men) Suits and ties, (Women) Dresses and high heels
Traje de gala ou Black tie; (Men) Black tie (Taxid), (Women) Long dress and high heels
Women are so sexy! ! ! Much more exposure than Japanese clothes.
Brazilian wedding receptions are all about freedom. Seats are assigned, but there are few people who are sitting all the time, and everyone moves around and talks to various people. Newlyweds highly likely contract with bartenders, bands, etc. and they gradually build up excitement.
The music is quite loud, but everyone talks and chats louder than music. And after a dinner, everybody starts to dance, dance, dance! ! We drink and dance until the midnight or early in the morning. People are incline to stay at the venue for 5 or 6 hours.
"Freedom" is typical value of Brazil, but some people take uninvited people on the day of reception. It is a little too free though.... and considered as rude manner, so be careful! In the past, it was quite common to accept uninvited people, but I heard it's much less now...
Thank you for reading!!
Obrigada!!!
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