Sometimes it’s fun to head on over to YouTube and see what pops up when words like ‘wedding’ and ‘bride’ are typed into their search engine. And sometimes what pops up is…I think disturbing is the word I’m reaching for here. But don’t just take my word for it. Take a look at what I found the other day:
I have to admit, there are a couple small touches I kind of like. The bride’s tiny, off-kilter tiara really does appeal to me for some reason, and there’s no denying how happy the couple look. Alas! Those disembodied Hello Kitty heads festooned about like some surreal trophy room have haunted my nightmares since I found this video. Look at them! They’re even in the boutonnieres! Were they felled with tiny popguns? Or do they grow that way, waiting to be harvested to lie on some poor schlub’s lapel? Either way, the subject has left me in need of a bit of a lie down and a well-fortified cup of tea.
Am I the only really confused person? Obviously a Japanese wedding. French music. Tweeny Cartoon character. The names “Horlick”??? (soooo many bad places I could go with this name!) “Jaime”??? I know we live in a Globle world but really!
Actually, according to the person who uploaded the video the wedding took place in Hong Kong, not Japan. Not that it helps. The names definitely struck me as surprising, too, but I’ll take their words for it.
Mostly I found the whole thing so surreal it was hilarious.
It looks so beautiful . . . for a bat mitzvah.
Definitely not Japanese, although you can get married at the Sanrio theme park in Japan.
Is that in a mall? It looks like it was a ‘win a Hello Kitty wedding’ contest or something.
I read an article a couple of years ago about how Hello Kitty weddings are popular in Japan — apparently you can buy a whole Hello Kitty Wedding package (starting at about $8000 and up) and you get the whole HK theme worked into your reception, including a visit by Hello Kitty herself.
That creeped me out. But then, so does the similar practice here in the U.S. to have Disney-theme weddings where you can buy the package at the Disney Resorts that includes the ride in the princess carriage, princess-themed wedding gowns, etc.
Ick.
My personal feeling is that cartoon characters are best referenced in tiny ways – if at all – at weddings. Like you, Anusha, I can’t really fathom Disney weddings, either. Still, there’s definitely a sizeable market.
Audrey, I know what you mean. It looked more or less that way to me, too. Whatever the case, it definitely blew my tiny mind for the week.
I think they definitely won a contest or they work for Hello Kitty or something. There are a lot of photographers and people who do not look like guests. At first it looked like they were getting married in a train station or an airport.
If you go to the YouTube page for this vid, you can see one of the comments says “this is a free wedding given out by the transit company MTR in Hong Kong.” Just enough information to be tantalizing!