T&A
家族のはじまりの日。
とても優しく包容力のある穏やかな新郎様。いつも明るく可愛らしい笑顔を見せてくれるしっかり者の新婦様。お二人の結婚の日は、まさに「家族になる最初の日」であったと、私たちMAYAスタッフの間でもよく話題に上がります。
ハレの日の朝。
ダイニングで朝食をとられたあとは、和室でゆっくりとお支度をはじめます。
お二人はドレスとタキシードに身を包み、材木座海岸でお二人きりの写真撮影をされ、
ご親族はお着物やスーツに着替えられ、朝のほっこりとした時間から徐々に挙式本番へと気持ちを整えます。お庭を眺めながら、ご両家のお父様同士がお話をされている姿は、とても微笑ましい光景でした。
挙式で行った植樹セレモニー。
親御様からご兄弟、ご親戚と順番にお二人のもとへお越しいただき、オリーブの樹が植えられた植木鉢へ、それぞれ思い思いに土を入れて頂きます。ご家族一人一人のお顔をしっかり見ながら感謝を伝えられているお二人の姿は、これから一緒に家族になる決意を皆様にお伝えしているようでした。仕上げにお二人でお水を注ぎ無事に完成したオリーブの樹は、これからお二人が歩む夫婦生活をあたたかく見守ってくれることだろうと思います。
ご家族のみ13名で執り行われた披露宴。
それぞれのご家族が一同に揃い、一緒に食卓を囲みます。お二人やご家族のお写真がスクリーンに映し出され、想い出話に花を咲かせながら食事を楽しむ皆様。そんな中スタッフにこっそり声をかけてくださったのは、新郎様のお父様でした。
「明日が妻の誕生日なので何かしてあげたくて。」
とても気さくに話してくださるお父様が教えてくださったお母様の誕生日。
私たちも何かできたらと一緒に考え、お誕生日ケーキをご用意することとなりました。
お祝いのプレートに書くメッセージもお父様にお考え頂き、スタッフが鎌倉のケーキ屋さんまでこっそり買い出しへ。披露宴中、ご家族に隠れながら相談をしに来てくださったお父様の照れくさそうな表情は今でも鮮明に覚えています。
翌日の朝食後、ご家族の様子を覗きに行くと、お誕生日ケーキを目の前にとても嬉しそうな表情をされたお母様と、その様子をあたたかい笑顔で囲むご両家の姿がありました。その様子は、ご両家それぞれではなく、まるでひとつの家族の食卓を見ているようで、心の中がじんわりするそんな瞬間でした。
A family’s first day.
A gentle groom, kind and patient. A dependable bride, always with a bright smile on her face. We at MAYA often say that their wedding day was very much the day that they became a family. The morning of the big day. After having breakfast in the dining room, the pair slowly began their preparations in a Japanese style room. Donning a dress and a tuxedo, they had photos taken of just the two of them together at Zaimokuza Beach. Meanwhile, their relatives changed into kimonos and suits and, after spending a relaxing morning, gradually geared themselves up for the wedding ceremony. It was a truly heartwarming sight to see the fathers of both families chatting to each other while looking out at the garden.
The tree planting ceremony held at the wedding. Parents, siblings, and other relatives approached the bride and groom in turn, and, each in their own way, put earth into a pot in which an olive tree had been planted. As the couple looked intently at each family member and conveyed their gratitude, it was as if they were announcing to everyone their determination to become a family together. The final step was for the pair to water the olive tree. I believe that it will lovingly watch over them as they move forward together as a married couple.
The family only reception with 13 attendees. Members from both families came and sat around the dining table together. Photos of the bride and groom were displayed on a screen, and everyone enjoyed reminiscing over their memories as they ate. During the meal, it was the groom’s father who quietly spoke to the staff.
“Tomorrow is my wife’s birthday, so I would like to do something for her.” The groom’s mother’s birthday, which the groom’s father had kindly told us about. We considered what we could do and decided to get a birthday cake. The groom’s father thought of a message to write on the celebration plate, and some staff members secretly went out to a cake shop in Kamakura to purchase one. I still vividly remember the embarrassed look on the groom’s father’s face as he sneaked past his family during the reception to come and talk to me. The next day after breakfast, I went to check on the families and saw the groom’s mother looking very happy with the cake in front of her and surrounded by warmly smiling members from both families. It was as if I was looking at the dining table of one family, rather than two separate families, and it was a moment that warmed my heart.
Season
2023年 秋
