A/N1: Not mine.
Throughout the numerous photo sessions prior to the 'elaborate waste of yen', as Naoki put it, the future mother-in-law glowed brighter than the bride. While her own ceremony a quarter of a century earlier had been all that she could wish, planning for this had taken her back to her childhood years of playing with dress-up dolls.
Indeed, Mrs. Irie had been in her fluttery element for the past eighteen months, Kotoko and Naoki having placed all preparations and arrangements into her most eager and proficient hands. As those stubborn children were at last going to be lawfully joined in matrimony, she would be proclaiming her–or rather, their–joy to all. She did regret that, in her position as mother of the groom, she would not be able to perform the role of photographer, but she meticulously interviewed an assortment of media personnel to chronicle the celebration. These connections gleaned from society functions in her capacity as wife to the CEO of Pandai would ensure that all would pay notice to this union.
My lovely readers, it was my great pleasure to attend an exclusive event as the epistolary representative of People Japan. I was given the singular honor of reporting on what I will now state has a high probability of earning the sobriquet, 'Wedding of the Decade'.
For those not 'au courant', as the mother of the groom would phrase it, this was the celebration of the marriage of Aihara Kotoko and Irie Naoki.
Miss Aihara is the sole child of the late Aihara Etsuko and Aihara Shigeo, owner of Fugu-kichi, three-time winner of Tokyo Restaurant of the Year. Mr. Irie is the elder son of Irie Noriko and Irie Shigeki. Irie Shigeki is the founder and owner of Pandai, Inc., known worldwide for its innovations in toys and games. Irie Noriko, quite traditionally, dedicated herself to her family for some years but has recently become known as a notable socialite and patron of the arts. Indeed, this affair is a monument to her refined tastes.
The bridal couple placed only a few restrictions on the eager matron. The preeminent one was that their university course schedule should be of prime consideration. The second prompted a fierce argument which raged for days; the topic: bridal colors.
"No pink, we said." Kotoko's face held a mulish expression.
"But this is not precisely pink," Mrs. Irie protested. "Onii-chan, do you not agree?"
Naoki was not pleased to be drawn into the fray. "Look, Ma, you were the one who decorated the room that Kotoko lived in for two years before we added on." (And finding out the summer after graduation that their parents had decided to make the two-family home situation permanent without telling the younger generation had resulted in a few fiery exchanges, especially with Mrs. Irie's far-from-subtle winks as they discussed 'sleeping arrangements'.) "She has had enough pink to last a lifetime, and no, I do not agree with you; flamingo is indeed pink."
"Well, then," she drew out a book of fabric and ribbon samples, "how about–"
"Not salmon, not peach, not watermelon, and definitely not fuschia!" Kotoko folded arms over her chest. "How many times do I have to say 'no'?"
Yuuki couldn't help but offer his opinion as he strolled by the current debate. "Whatever number it is, I bet it has an exponent."
"Tais-toi." His mother waved a hand at him in irritation.
"Look, the paperwork will be filed the day before, so they're just indulging you with this spectacle. Let me put this out here now: if I decide to get married, we'll do it plain and simple, none of this froufrou."
"Yuuki-kun," she scowled at him, "what do you mean 'if'?"
"A-a-a-and that's my cue to leave." He slipped out the door with a wave.
Mrs. Irie shook her head and focused on the couple seated before her. "But I had such beautiful plans–!"
"And I'm sure they will be just as beautiful in the shades of blue and green which I picked out."
"I concur, Ma. With all the rest of the folderol that will be going on, at least let us have calming colors."
Even the venerable exterior of Chapel – was in festive mode. Large brass pots held young white pine trees decorated with strands of pearls and satin bows of turquoise, teal and cream. One might consider it an interesting choice for March, but I have been informed that the original date was near this past Christmas, and the Yule theme certainly echoes the Irie matriarch's interest in European customs.
And the interior! Oh, my, where do I begin? Over-sized brass urns at the entrance doors to the sanctuary were filled–nay, overflowed–with floral arrangements bedecked with intertwined garlands and streamers as previously seen on the lovely evergreens. Down the central aisle, all the way to the nave, the end of each pew featured a small spray of blossoms attached with lustrous curled ribbons. To complete the motif, more urns flanked both sides of the chancel, echoing the design at the entrance.
Guests arrived and were seated to the lovely strains of Handel's 'Water Music Suite No.3'. A brief ringing of chimes announced to all that the main event was about to start.
Bridesmaids Ishikawa Satomi and Komori Jinko, long-time friends of the bride, proceeded down the aisle in couture dresses which will surely raise the standards for such attire. Miss Komori wore a sleeveless garment of turquoise satin with exquisite beading and embroidery on the bodice. As the slightly flared skirt neared the floor, the color flowed in smooth ombre fashion to teal.
Ishikawa Satomi was accoutered similarly, although her frock featured off-the-shoulder sleeves and was a flattering pale aquamarine which bled into aqua at the hem. The heads of both young ladies were topped with elegant floral coronets, their hues matching the respective dresses.
Two pieces by Henry Purcell announced the bridal procession. No trite rendition of Mendellsohn for this ceremony! The attendants arrived with the sweet sounds of 'Rondeau', and once they were ensconced at the altar, the music switched to 'Rigadoon'. The joyful strains of that piece were reflected by the bride as she, escorted by her father, almost skipped down the aisle.
Miss Aihara was radiant in a gown of warm white which darkened to rich cream. Her bodice was not only more heavily decorated but also boned as the dress was strapless; a daring design, although one which the bride wore with grace and élan. The main difference was that the skirt had a small train, and her headpiece, instead of flowers, was a sparkling diadem with a short gauzy veil. In no way were her features hidden, and her incandescent glow of happiness brought an answering smile to the face of the groom.
With all the planning involved in a production which rivaled the opening day of Tokyo Disney, Mrs. Irie allowed them one last concession: that, in addition to the traditional pomp and circumstance, they could plight their troth in words of their choosing.
So it was that she, lost in the bliss of the occasion, did not take heed of the warning signs, one of which was that Kotoko's and Naoki's smiles more resembled smirks.
It was almost a letdown when the ceremony proceeded in an almost disappointingly predictable manner with the usual homily and conventional vows. But then it was announced that the bride and groom had chosen to add personalized oaths, a trend which waxes and wanes with the passing of seasons. At that point, my readers, this event went from outstanding to spectacular.
Their voices could be clearly heard due to excellent acoustics of the architecture, even though whispers of puzzlement gave a hum which filled the air once Naoki began.
"Kotoko, quand j'ai pris conscience de toi pour la première fois, dans mon arrogance, je croyais que j'étais tellement au-dessus de toi par mon intelligence qu'il n'y avait aucun moyen que nous puissions être amis. Heureusement, le destin t'a mis dans ma vie pour m'humilier et me montrer ce que compte vraiment dans ce monde. Merci, Kotoko, de m'avoir permis d'utiliser à la fois mon esprit et mon cœur pour que je puisse vivre pleinement cette vie."
["Kotoko, when I first became aware of you, in my arrogance I believed I was so far above you in intelligence that there was no way we could even be friends. Thankfully, fate put you in my life to humble me and show me what truly matters in this world. Thank you, Kotoko, for allowing me to use both my mind and heart so that I can fully live this life."]
"Naoki, quand je t'ai vu pour la première fois, je n'étais pas si impressionné. J'ai laissé mes yeux me tromper sur ce qui était le désir de mon cœur. Ce destin dont tu parles m'a permis d'apprendre que la véritable affection n'apparaît pas soudainement, pleinement développée, mais se développe à partir d'une amitié honnête. Notre amour mutuel nous permettra de profiter des années à venir, alors que nous continuons à nous soutenir mutuellement."
["Naoki, when I first saw you, I was not that impressed. I let my eyes fool me on what was my heart's desire. That fate of which you speak allowed me to learn that true affection does not appear suddenly, fully grown, but grows from honest friendship. Our mutual love will allow us to enjoy the years to come, as we continue to support each other."]
"Now," intoned the officiant when the two nodded at him, "you may kiss the bride."
For, brace yourselves, their personal vows were in French. And not just any French; one guest, Lady Marie Robbins (yes, the motion picture actress!) stated that while Mr. Irie spoke in such a manner that native Parisians would mistake him for one of their own, the new Mrs. Irie had a hint of Marseille in her diction.
The confused murmurs over the unfamiliar words gave way to cheers when Naoki dipped his bride almost to the ground. Satomi and Jinko, smiling at the uncharacteristic spectacle, had to act quickly to prevent Kotoko's headpiece from falling to the carpet. The groomsmen were of no help at all, as Watanabe was forced to rescue Yuuki, who had lost his balance as he held his sides in an attempt to stymie bursts of laughter.
A cry came from the groom's mother when they finally concluded their passionate kiss. "But what did they say?"
Alas, my report must end here. The following reception was more exclusive than the ceremony, although we members of the press were still provided with a substantial collation of finger foods in a separate location.
I now proclaim with great assuredness that these young people could be the next Japanese 'power couple', albeit without the scandalous publicity so rife in Western countries. It is with great humility and integrity that they plan to serve society as a physician and an elementary school teacher. Truly they exemplify the very best of our great nation.
I for one will certainly keep my eyes on them in the future. But, for now, Arita Sakurita is signing off.
"Onii-chan, Kotoko-chan, what in the world was that gibberish? I cannot believe that you would so ruin my–I mean, your–day with such nonsense!"
"Gibberish, Ma?" Naoki inquired with a twinkle, squeezing Kotoko's waist to keep her steady. "I thought you, of all people, would understand French."
"Fr-french?" she stammered. "But why–I mean, how?"
"While our scheduled course load is heavy, we managed to find time to learn the language in appreciation of all you have done for us."
"Or, in my case," Kotoko giggled, "memorize enough to make it sound right."
"But just think," Naoki continued, "if you hadn't created such a scene when we finished, you might have been able to pass it off as your own idea. Now," he shrugged, "the most unique segment of the occasion was provided by the bride and groom." He narrowed his eyes. "As it should have been all along."
Mrs. Irie glared at him before stamping one Miu Miu-clad foot and waving an index finger in front of his face. "Just for that, Onii-chan, I demand that your first child be a girl. Pas d'excuses!"
"Don't look at me," Kotoko said as her mother-in-law stomped away, "I know enough that that part is up to you."
"I know," he sighed, "but you do realize she said that so she can get back at us about the pink thing. I bet the nursery will make us feel as if we're swimming in Pepto-Bismol."
"Yes," she agreed, "which gives us even more encouragement to get our own place so we can be in charge of the decorating!"
"Amen to that!"
T/N: Au courant=aware; Tais-toi=shut up; Pas d'excuses!=No excuses! Also, I placed translations of the vows in the body of the chapter to cut down on your scrolling. A foreign word here or there may be guessed from the context, but that was a big hunk of French.
A/N2: Once more, I offer thanks to Jess605 for this plot idea. In addition, it is impossible for me to express how much I appreciate ALBrassard for her translations to French. When I thought this would be an amusing little quirk of Mrs. Irie, I was unaware that I had bitten off more than I could chew. She proofread the phrases and offered more acceptable substitutes, but the lovely vows translations are all hers. Brava!
A/N3: And, as always, I want to thank my faithful readers and reviewers. Writing should be rewarding in and of itself, but your support keeps me going during the difficult times. Thank you, merci, arigatou!