Yesterday, I had a "practice" for the upcoming bridal meeting with an international couple.
I asked my American co-worker (since the groom is American,) Seth, to pretend to be my client, I mean, the groom. I wanted to confirm all of my questions made sense & if I could communicate smoothly in English.
My English communication skills were no problem when it comes to wedding( when it comes to my unfamiliar field, I might have no idea what they're talking about, though...)
But "some of my questions about wedding in Japan confused Seth, who had no idea how Japanese couples have their weddings.
The point is, a Japanese wedding is "well-planned." We have strict time allotment. Everything is planned beforehand (even a surprise event is well planned.) If there are any changes on the planning sheet, all of the staff crew should know about them to make the wedding go smoothly.
That's why a newlywed needs to hire a wedding emcee!
On the other hand, American wedding is kind of "spontaneous." Wedding is supposed to be fun, so, if a guest wants to make a speech, s/he can do that anytime, on site. The guests even can leave whenever they want!
...So, during the practice, Seth never gave me my desirable answer first.
When I asked, "Would you like to make a welcome speech at the beginning of your reception?"
He said, "Yeah, MAYBE. (Check out the bold letters!) But I don't know if I would do that at the beginning. CAN I DO THAT HALFWAY THROUGH?"
When I said, "would you want me to introduce your backgrounds, or will you introduce yours by yourself?"
He was surprised, "Do...I have to introduce my backgrounds? I guess everybody knows my backgrounds! That's why they're coming to my wedding!"
...And I asked,"who will make speeches?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "I don know...maybe, some of my friends coming from NY... if they want to say a few words on the day, they might."
...Then, I turned to be like a teacher.
"OK, Seth, actually, a Japanese wedding is supposed to be a well-planned, formal party. Your party time length has been decided, so we need to be on time, basically. So, all of the party staff should know who are the speakers, what's going on next, and so on. Also, the guests from the bride side might not know about you very much, so, introducing the couple's backgrounds is very common in Japan. That's why you hired me! ( He didn't, I was just kidding.)"
He seemed stunned, and took a look at Pingu stuffed doll beside him.
(He made fun of the practice meeting, so he said, "Look! This is my bride!" Then, he put the stuffed "Pingu" on the chair next to him.)
...He became like a student who were scolded by his teacher, so I was back to be a wedding emcee.
"...But of course you can mingle two cultures at your wedding. That's why I'm here for you!
You don't have to follow Japanese wedding customs all the time if your bride (Pingu) doesn't mind, but there's one thing. Your party time length is decided. So, we're talking how to make your wedding go "effectively fun."
That was the time he met the "cultural boundary," and I did, too!
The interesting thing is, even he thought a wedding reception would be "spontaneously fun," he took his wedding ceremony more seriously than I did.
International weddings might be more "unexpected" than I imagine, but I feel like they could be much more exciting than I picture...
Besides, a bilingual emcee might be needed much more than I expect.
...I can't wait to meet my first clients!!
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