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The current vote on the wedding outfit is falling in favour of the the pink. I'll make a last minute decision tomorrow night.
In preparation for the wedding, I've taken a trip to the wonderful (if horrifically cramped and over-crowded) 100yen store (Daiso ダイソ）to stock up on rollers, kirby grips in light brown (rather than the curious blue I currently have), a portable mirror for doing my makeup on the bullet train, and some new ear-plugs (lest anyone finds my current manky ones).
The other preparation, which is certainly not practiced in the UK, is the MONEY!! In Japan, it is customary at weddings to present your congratulatory gift in the form of cash, wrapped up in beautiful gift envelopes. It may at first seem a little in bad taste to most people to give cash, but when one considers the horrific cost of a Japanese wedding, you're just helping to keep your friends and family out of wedding-induced debt.
As I am a friend of the couple, my gift comes to the sum of 20,000yen. This is normally calculated using the following formula: a standard wedding reception meal costs about 10,000yen. This is a fair amount of money, especially when one considers the brevity of such events - a typical wedding lunch or dinner will only last an hour or two, though some may go on longer. Add to that a 5000yen gift to the couple, and another 5000yen to cover the expense of the gift that they give to you in return for attending the wedding and that comes to 20000yen. Couples pay more - my friend Saori and her husband together will give 50000yen. Family pay even more, I believe.
There's also a method to your presentation:
The bank notes need to be crisp and uncrumpled. I changed mine up with a student who had just been to the bank to withdraw some cash, so they are all nice and stiff. I was told that an odd-number of notes is required, but was told by three people today that it doesn't matter.
Then, the notes go into the white envelop, upon which you write your details. The notes go in facing the front of the envelope.
The white envelope goes inside the outer envelope. To avoid the guaranteed catastrophe that would happen if I undid the whole envelope, I slipped it in from the bottom. Note envelope faces forward. (And yes, Mum, I've been biting my thumb.)
Finally, pull the band down to desired place and attach your name to the front of the envelope:
I was going to write my kanji, but my family name is impossible, so I did katakana and then my wonky autograph.
Pretty, ne?
