Japanese wedding
A person of the greatest importance of Japanese wedding is nakodo. Nakodo are matchmakers who deal with coupling of man and woman. Their task is to find a bride or a fiancé who would be a perfect couple for a person the interests of which they represent. While making their choice the nakodo cares about status of the family, the well-fare of the family and their genealogical tree. It is important for Japanese people for future husband and wife were of the same social class. That is how it was and that it how it is. Nowadays most marriages are contracted upon the mutual love and willing of bride and fiancé, though the importance of nakodo remains the same.
The nakodo cares not only about the engaging period but also about the entire wedding. They also care about antes-wedding period of the couple and they are responsible for their happiness. That is why there are a number of presents given for nakodo by parents of both sides and by just married. Fancy that, the presents a couple give to nakodo are given not once but during a number of years twice a year. The presents are given for nakodo on New Years day and on a day of summer. That is how the married couple expresses its respect and gratefulness for nakodo. They are grateful for their happy life and for his efforts.
It is common nowadays that people get married only in case if there is a mutual love and sympathy between them. No one makes them get married. But, the nakodo still is the one who deals with looking for a bride. Once the nakodo finds a bride he considers as good bride he makes an agreement with her parents. That is how it happens: there are cards given for parents for the bride with photo of a fiancé and in case if they like him they give the same card with photo of their daughter. Sure, it is mostly the honor the traditions and it is often that a man and woman are already acquainted.
After the agreement is made they define place and time where and when the future bride and fiancé will meet. In most cases it is a restaurant, café, theatre or something. There are the nakodo and parents of both sides presented at this meeting, and the bride and the fiancé off course. During such meeting the couple has an opportunity to communicate each other and find out more about each other in case if they weren't acquainted before. They also have an opportunity to stay in private and talk about anything they want.
In case if they like each other and are ready to be together the second stage begins – dating. In case if they don't like each other the meeting is over and nakodo continues his looking for a good bride. But if everything is alright soon the wedding is performed according to ancient traditions. They change their clothes for several times during the wedding ceremony and each changing of clothes is also a ceremony.