Western Style Weddings Work in Japan

Surely the most important person in the chapel, the Chapel Assistant is the 'floor manager' for the ceremony. If anything unusual happens, the Chapel Assistant is the first person to know about it. Or should be! An 'unusual' happening could easily escalate into a problem, and from there into a crisis. The Chapel Assistant's job is to nip such issues in the bud before they get out of hand.

There are many minor details the Chapel Assistant should watch out for: Are the groom's shoelaces tied, is the bride's necklace neatly aligned, is the father's zip closed, or is anything out of place that might spoil the image. There are often very young ring bearers and veil bearers. The Chapel Assistant loves children. Often they are little tykes but the Chapel Assistant's natural warmth for children melts them into little angels.

Perhaps without exception, the Chapel Assistant is a Japanese female and the job includes some or all of the following:

• Greet the couple when they arrive at the chapel
• Instruct the couple during the rehearsal
• Give pre-ceremony instructions to the guests: where to sit, how not to disturb while taking photographs, to switch off mobile phones, etc
• Keep an eye on any ring bearer or veil bearer, especially if they are very young
• Assist during the ceremony by holding the bride's gloves and bouquet during the ring exchange
• Ensure the long train on the bride's dress doesn't get caught on any furniture as she meanders
• ...and a list of countless other things

Each chapel is different and each has its own style. The Chapel Assistant is a movie's creative director, a therapist, life coach and diplomat. She knows exactly when to step in and when not to interfere. The Chapel Assistant is as unobtrusive as a superhero ninja, flexible, ready to adapt to any requirement, professional and calm, and above all, does her utmost to make sure the couple enjoy the best wedding they could ever dream of.

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(If you are a Chapel Assistant and have tips, warnings, or any useful info, please let us know. We are keen to enhance this site to help others.)

Surely the most important person in the chapel, the Organist drives the pace of the ceremony. The whole feeling and emotion can be altered by the most subtle change in the Organist's performance.

The Organist's timing is perfect. During the ring exchange for example, or any other part of the ceremony where the Organist plays background music, the aim is to complete the musical piece at the same time as the activity being performed. This is a challenge for many people yet satisfying when Organist gets it right.

The Organist is usually a Japanese female and keeps a careful watch on all proceedings. If there is a problem, the Organist will be ready at a moment's notice to play an interlude while the problem is resolved.

The problem may be a delayed bride's entrance; perhaps due to a final adjustment to the bouquet, her hair, or some other last minute preparation to effect a grand entrance. Or it may be the several minutes needed to persuade the five-year-old ring boy that he really DOES want to walk down the aisle carrying the ring cushion with a hundred adults watching him.

Sometimes the problem may be more serious; one of the couple may faint. In this case, the ceremony will be suspended for a short while. The guests will naturally be concerned and the Organist will play something appropriate to soothe the atmosphere.

Whatever the emergency is, the Organist has no idea how long the delay will be. If the interlude is just 20 seconds, then a series of chords should suffice. If the recess is 20 minutes, a mini concert is required. This, is the challenge.

The Organist is in such a responsible position that she should ensure she is always fit and ready for anything. If an Organist is feeling unwell, it is most important the fact is made know to the other staff as soon as possible. This cannot be over-emphasised.

But usually the ceremony proceeds without incident. The Organist plays background music as the guests enter, the fanfare for bride's entrance, the accompaniment for the hymns, background music during the bible reading, ring exchange, etc., and the final spectacular fanfare for the recessional.

The Organists finishes each wedding with a well-deserved personal feeling of satisfaction of having done her best performance for the couple.

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(If you are a wedding Organist and have tips, warnings, or any useful info, please let us know. We are keen to enhance this site to help others.)

The Soloist (or 'soristo' in Japanese) plays surely the most important role in the ceremony. Whether as a singer, trumpeter, harpist, flautist, cellist or any other musician, the Soloist provides an elegant and sophisticated polish to the ceremony. Until the Soloist performs, all eyes are on the bride and groom. And whilst the couple do their best to look and behave like royalty, they are usually novices and inexperienced at being centre stage. Here, the Soloist adds sparkle. The Soloist shines!

The Soloist's performance is typically something like Ave Maria, O Mio Babbino or Amazing Grace for a singer, Bach's Suite No. 1 for the cellist, or something similar. Occasionally the couple will have a special request. If this is not already in the Soloist's repertoire then it must be practised beforehand to the point that delivery is perfect. Mistakes cannot be tolerated during the ceremony.

Invariably there is no applause after a performance; just a few seconds silence showing the Soloist has honoured the deep emotion, the pomp and circumstance.

But the Soloist's performance does not end there; other duties are often performed. See the notes on 'Choir and Orchestra' below.

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(If you have experience as a soloist and have tips, warnings, or any useful info, please let us know. We are keen to enhance this site to help others.)

Groups of Singers and Musicians forming a small choir or chamber orchestra, play surely the most important role in the ceremony. Most performers are Japanese. A few are not, and these tend to be black gospel singers. Japanese singers are often trained for opera but whatever skill the musicians have, they must be multi-talented. It is rare for guests to join in singing the hymn much; they are too busy savouring the atmosphere. The musicians must compensate somehow and fill the chapel with sound. They must blend in and harmonise perfectly with their peers, even if it is their debut or if the accompaniment is unusual.

One common difficulty is when the piece is awkward to sing or play. Most of the music has been written for a different setting; perhaps a grand concert hall with a huge chorus and a full orchestra. Some music has been written for a different culture which may have an unfamiliar beat, or for singers, some foreign words may be difficult to pronounce. (When first confronted with 'Amazing Grace', many Japanese singers are not sure how to pronounce 'wretch'.)

A less obvious challenge is caused by the opposite: Usually the musical pieces are familiar and the musician sings or plays them so many times that they can perform on autopilot, without seeing the score. If the musician is going to sound like a robot then the ceremony would be better off using a pre-recorded CD. The appeal of having live music cannot be overstated. How to perform with appropriate piquancy when the piece is boring, is the mark of a professional

Whilst they may not be famous, they are nonetheless professional musicians. This is their first and most obvious role. But there is another, oft ignored, yet critical part that musicians play.

Musicians are frequently called on to assist as instructors for the rehearsal, usher the guests, and generally steward as and when required. These are tasks often do not come naturally to most people and can cause a bit of unwanted stress, just before their musical performance.

Is this job for you?

(If you are a wedding singer or musician and have tips, warnings, or any useful info, please let us know. We are keen to enhance this site to help others.)

There are many other professionals essential for making a wedding ceremony successful but at the moment, this page is limited to the above jobs. We plan to add more later so please check back here from time to time. If you have information you'd like to share, please email the link below.

You may have noticed in each section above, every role is said to be the 'most important'. In fact, every role is equally important. Everybody works as a team.

If you see yourself as a Chapel Assistant, using your power and authority to control a wedding ceremony single-handedly, then this job is not for you.

If you see yourself as an Organist, going into a wedding and seizing the opportunity to demonstrate your wonderful talents, then this job is not for you.

If you are a singer or instrumentalist and see yourself as soloist, chorister or orchestra member, out-shining the other musicians with your gifted talent, then this job is not for you.

But if you see yourself as a professional, team member, whose No. 1 concern is to provide the best, the very best, performance than you've ever done in your life, for a couple you don't know and will probably never see again, then this job might be for you.