Meiji Jingu Shinto wedding procession

In Japan there are mainly two types of weddings: the traditional Shinto ceremonies and the Western-style weddings. The Western wedding has become very popular during the past decades, not for religious reasons but because it is more luxurious and fashionable, taking place in chapels especially built in high-class hotels.

However, the traditional Shinto wedding still has a religious significance: officiated by Shinto priests, it starts with a procession to the shrine's ceremonial hall, where the actual ceremony takes place. The procession looks like in this photo, taken at the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo. In front there are two Shinto priests followed by miko (shrine maidens) and by the groom and the bride, under a big red umbrella, beautifully dressed in formal traditional attire.