My daughter's Wedding

随分長い間ブログの更新をしなくて失礼致しました。

去年の９月に帰国してからの我が家でのビッグイベントであった、
娘の結婚のご報告をさせていただきたいと思います。

I am sorry I haven't posted for a long time. I would like to tell you about the biggest event for my family since I returned to Japan last September; my daughter's wedding.

11月にホテル日航で結婚式を挙げました。

二人は大きな式や披露宴は開きたくない、という事で
ごく内輪の親戚をお呼びして
二人が泊まったスイートルームで式を挙げて、そこで披露宴もしました。

娘と彼とですべての事をアレンジしたので、
私たち両方の親にとってはどんな式や披露宴になるのかは
当日までのお楽しみでした。

スイートルームの外にはちょっとした庭があって
そこで式を挙げたかったようですが
その日は雨だったので部屋の中で挙げる事になりました。

She got married in November at Hotel Nikko Tokyo. They didn't want to have a big ceremony and a party; they invited only a few relatives. Their ceremony and the party were held in their suite at the hotel. My daughter and her fiancé arranged every detail of the wedding and the party by themselves. It was a kind of surprise party for us parents. The groom's mother and I made albums with a lot of pictures from their births to graduation from univesities. There was a small garden connected to their suite. They wanted to have the ceremony there, but they had to performed it inside as it was raining.

式は日本で少しずつ増えてきている人前結婚式というものでした。
私たちにとっては初めてでとても面白い体験でした。

まず二人が結婚の誓いをし、結婚証明書に署名したのに続いて
私達立会人も署名し、そして指輪交換となりました。

This type of secular ceremony is gradually becoming popular in Japan. It was a very interesting experience for us, because it was the first time that we saw this style of a wedding. They said their vows, then they signed their marriage certificate. We signed it following the bride and groom. After that, they exchanged wedding rings.

結婚証明書に署名している私。

司会をしている訳ではありません（笑）
I was signing their marriage certificate.
I was not the emcee!

披露宴は小さいながらもちゃんとした披露宴の形で
ウエディングケーキの入刀やお互いの子供時代の話を披露したりして
和やかでくつろげる雰囲気で過す事ができました。

娘はちょっと恥じらいもあり緊張気味だったものの
幸せそうな花嫁さんでした。
夫と私も幸せそうな二人を見て胸に込み上げてくるものがありました。

The party was not big, but the process was the same as for a big party. They cut the wedding cake and reminisced about their childhoods with us. The party was held in a harmonious and comfortable atmosphere. My daughter looked very happy, a little nervous and she was a blushing bride. My husband I were moved to see the bride and groom so happy.

娘の夫になった人はとても優しく、
娘の話をよく聞いてくれる彼女の良きアドバイザーです。

私から見るとこれはかなり重要な事でした。

娘は学校から帰ると私を相手にその日の出来事を逐一話していたからです。
それは社会人となってからも同じでした。

The groom is very kind, a good listener and gives good advice to my daughter. I think it would be very important for her to get married to a good listener. She used to tell me how her school days were and what she did in school every day until she grew up. Then, she continued telling me about her days even after she started to work. 

二人の出会いは大学のゼミが一緒だった事です。
そのときは友達だった二人が社会人となってバッタリと再会して、
そして結婚して夫婦になったのです。
人生とは分からないものですね。
二人で力を合わせて思いやりの気持ちを忘れないで幸せになってほしいです。

They knew each other at the seminar class in the university. They were just friends at the time, and they bumped into each other coincidently after they started to work. Now they are husband and wife! Life is sometimes miraculous.
We really think they will be happy with help and understanding from each other.

（余談になりますが・・
自分が娘の結婚式で留袖を着る年代になったなんて、信じられない思いです。）
（By the way, I couldn't believe that I am in the generation where I wore the Tomesode to my daughter's wedding! Tomesode is the traditional Japanese formal Kimono that the married women wear mainly for wedding ceremonies.)