How far ahead should we book?
Twelve to fourteen months is comfortable for a wedding with guests, and it keeps the best venues on the table. Cherry blossom season (late March to early April) and autumn colour (October to November) book out furthest ahead. We have run tighter timelines when dates were fixed, so ask even if you think you're late.
Will our guests really travel to Japan for this?
Yes, and in our experience couples worry about this far more than their guests do. Japan is a trip people want an excuse to take. Direct flights run from the US and Australia, and we handle hotels, transport and day-of guidance once they land, so all your guests book is the flight. Most treat the wedding as the anchor of a longer holiday.
Will language be a problem on the day?
No. That is most of what you are hiring us for. Every vendor is contracted and briefed by us in Japanese, and we are on site on the day, so the ceremony, the speeches and everything your guests hear runs in English while the machinery behind it runs in Japanese.
When is the best time of year?
Almost any season makes a case for itself. Spring means cherry blossom (late March to early April) and a country in celebration; it books out earliest at a premium. Autumn (October to November) is the one we recommend most: crimson maples, warm days and the year's most reliable skies. Winter is underrated, with crisp light, quiet temples, snow in the mountains and the best value of the year. May and early June bring fresh green everywhere before the rains. The honest exception is high summer: July and August are brutally hot and humid, hard on anyone in formalwear, and unless it is truly your only window we will steer you to a different month.
Is the ceremony legally binding?
The ceremony in Japan is symbolic, and that is by design. Couples register the legal marriage at home, usually a short appointment before or after the trip, and treat the day in Japan as the wedding. It keeps the day entirely yours and free of bureaucracy.
We're not sure our budget works. Should we still book a call?
Yes. The call is free and there is no budget gate on it. Tell us your number and we will say plainly what it can do in Japan, and where we would put it. Some of the best days we have planned were built to a firm budget.
What if we'd rather keep it to just the two of us?
Then you want our elopement page, where planning starts at $5,000. We also plan the Shinto shrine ceremony at working Kyoto shrines, described here.