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  1. Checkin at カフェ ジョゼフィーヌ(CAFE JOSEPHINE)
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      It was Jenny & Rin's wedding day today, so we met up with them and the wedding party for breakfast at Cafe Josephine.

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      The cafe was French which made it a little easier to read the menu and our pastries taste even better than the ones we'd had in Paris. Jenny & Rin had just returned from the town hall where Jenny had signed their official papers wearing her pyjamas.

  2. Checkin at ドン・キホーテ(Don Quijote)柳ヶ瀬店
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      After breakfast, a few of Jenny's friends took us to Don Quijote, a giant department store with five floors selling everything from strange snacks and clothes to gadgets and toys.

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      We had so much fun looking around and tried to resist buying too much, which we'd have to cart around in our suitcases before we got to Tokyo. I did stock up on cheap Instax film and won a Sailor Moon wand from a vending machine.

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    Afterwards, we took a walk around the streets of Gifu, walking along the river and stopping in to an anime shop.

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    It was then time to get dressed for the wedding but when we returned to the hotel, we found the maid was tidying the rooms on our floor. Luckily, we managed to use Google translate to ask if we could pop in and get ready.

  6. Checkin at GARLANDS
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      The wedding was held a few towns away in Ichinomiya at Garlands, which was a really pretty venue with a gorgeous garden and pond with turtles. Jenny had done an amazing job decking the place out with handmade rainbow decorations.

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      The ceremony was in both languages and I was impressed with Rin's English and Jenny's Japanese.

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      I was so happy that they liked the ring pillow they had asked me to make for the wedding and I loves seeing it being walked down the aisle.

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      Everyone was given bubbles and petals to throw as they walked down the isle and I managed to snap the prettiest photo of them.

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      There was an amazing five course meal afterwards with sashimi, scallops, soup, fish, lobster (for us, though everyone else had steak) and then a cake buffet. Every course was presented so prettily on the plate.

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      Unlike a British wedding, the speeches, slide shows and performances take place throughout the meal so you're kept entertained the whole time.

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      The bride and groom don't get to eat until after the wedding, which might explain why they tried to feed each other the largest possible spoons of cake during the cutting.

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      Another thing Japanese weddings are famous for is having lots of costume changes. Halfway through the evening, Jenny & Rin appearing outside dressed in kimonos. Jenny whispered "I'm wearing a car" as she walked past, as kimonos cost several thousand pounds just to rent. They were beautiful and so sparkly up close.

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      As the night progresses, some of the guests leave and more friends arrive for the after party which is slightly more casual. There was an Instax photo booth and we were all told to queue and have our photos taken.

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      Jenny's third outfit change was in to a metallic belly dancing costume and she appeared outside with two other dancers wearing candelabras on their head.

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      Unlike British weddings, the guests are showered with gifts instead of the bride and groom. Apparently there's usually a game of bingo but Jenny & Rin had a raffle using the photos we'd taken earlier at the photo booth. I won treats from Lush!

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    Jenny had warned us beforehand hand that dancing is banned almost everywhere in Japan but the wedding was packed with performances and surprises that it really didn't need it. It was almost midnight when we all had to run barefoot to the station to catch the last train.

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    When we arrived back in Gifu, everyone headed off for karaoke but we had to get up super early the next day so we decided to head back to the hotel.

 
 
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