Wedding/Marriage traditions?

[sorvani]

I was wondering if anyone could point me in a good direction to learn about wedding and marriage traditions in Japan.

For example, my fiancée told me the other day that it is traditional for the bride's parents to buy furniture for the couple, and that we are going shopping with her parents (in Tokyo) in March.

I've been poking around on the net for a couple days now searching for more information on traditions and things like this, but I have not really found anything. Likely because of my lack of Japanese language skills.

Asking my finacée such questions results in "Oh nothing important" or "Nothing to worry about" ..... well as that may be, I'm meeting her parents for the first time in march and would really prefer to have done some independent research to assure myself that it truly is "nothing to worry about"

[Alpedra]

I don´t know about your fiancee´s family.. but... for me.. it was really "nothing to worry about".. everything went like a breeze.. and until today I haven´t had any problem with my wife´s family...

Just pay attention and trust what your fiancee´s tells you.. and everything will be fine.. after all.. she knows her family and her country´s traditions.... so.. I am sure that, when the time is right, she will give you a few hints on what to do/say.. and what not to do/say... I .. after all.. I am sure that she also wants her family to like you..

I didn´t buy any furniture with my wife´s parents.. probably because it would´ve been difficult to carry inside the airplane (since we are not living in Japan)...so.. we were given other things... but.. getting furniture as a wedding present is a common thing.. not only in Japan, but also in the country where I live.. my family, for example (100% european) bought us some furniture or gave us money to buy it..

[Prince of Moles]

The biggest problem with "traditions" is that a lot of them are often local and not necessarily national. Even in the US, I know that wedding traditions in the South are often quite different from the ones in the Northeast and California has some wacky ideas (I don't know if they have become tradition yet...) Not to mention that each religion has its own ceremony so it can be quite confusing.

The web site for Erai tokoro ni totsuide shimatta, the spring 2007 drama, actually showcases a number of local wedding traditions across Japan.

[sorvani]

The biggest problem with "traditions" is that a lot of them are often local and not necessarily national.

That is why I was asking here. Boards like this one with such a diverse population give me a better chance of learning the things that everyone just knows "because it is always been like this" etc. I've also been beating on google when I have the time.

The web site for Erai tokoro ni totsuide shimatta, the spring 2007 drama, actually showcases a number of local wedding traditions across Japan.

I will have to look into that, thanks.

I'm not horribly worried about anything, and I do trust my fiancée when she says it is nothing to worry about. But it does not hurt to go into life armed with knowledge.