November 2021 Niigata Prefecture Tsukioka Onsen Yusobi no Yado Akebono
The couple, who live in Sanjo and Joetsu City in Niigata Prefecture respectively, chose Tsukioka Onsen as their wedding venue.
We met them through an enquiry we received from a hot spring wedding website.
They had decided that the purpose of their wedding was to express their gratitude to their parents and to deepen the friendship between their families. When they were looking for various venues, they stumbled across our website, which offered information on weddings at Japanese inns.
The key factors to choose as the location for your wedding are
- Guests will be coming from all over the prefecture and beyond
- We want people to participate casually, rather than in a traditional formal wedding ceremony
- Tsukioka Onsen is a place of memories for the couple.
- If you go to all this trouble, you want your guests to be able to relax in the hot spring after a long day
In the course of our discussions, we decided on Tsukioka Onsen, considering the image of the couple and the accessibility of the guests who would gather there.
Tsukioka Onsen, surrounded by the vast Echigo countryside, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the prefecture. We looked for a place where we could hold a public ceremony in the hotel without moving guests and where 25 people could hold a banquet together, and proposed the popular “Yusobi no Yado Akebono”, which has 25 guest rooms with open-air baths. The rooms are beautifully furnished in a purely Japanese style and are a calm and relaxing space that guests can enjoy. The ryokan is located in the centre of the hot spring resort, with a footbath and a stage, making it a perfect location for location photography.
Flow of the day
The couple had stayed the day before. The beauty team visited their room in the morning and started their hair and make-up. After getting ready, the couple took a walk through the streets of Tsukioka Onsen for a photo shoot, and as the autumn colours were just right in Niigata in November, there were plenty of places to take photos.
After the photo shoot, we returned to the inn and started the rehearsal for the wedding ceremony. The bride’s paternal and maternal grandmothers were also in attendance, so they chose the ‘Banquet Ceremony’, which required the least amount of movement. The couple made their wedding vows to their dear relatives.
10:30
Bride’s hair and make-up starts
The couple stayed the night before and started their preparations at a leisurely pace.
12:00
Location photography in hot spring towns.
Commemorative photo at the perfect time of year when the autumn leaves are beautiful.
14:30
Reception start.
15:30
civil ceremony held in a banquet hall
Ceremony in the banquet hall with less mobility burden for the elderly.
16:00
taking a group photo
The couple made their vows to their loved ones. The wedding wreath was approved by all the guests.
17:00
wedding banquet
A warm reception party that deepens the friendship between the two families.
19:00
breakup (of a ceremony, wedding, party, meeting, etc.)
After the reception, relax and enjoy the hot springs, famous for their beauty.
8:00
breakfast
The couple presented a letter to each guest.
11:00
Check-out
Everyone is free to explore the spa town.
Comments from Onsena Wedding
We met with the couple, who live in the prefecture, at the Niigata salon La Partiel. The couple lived far away from each other in Sanjo and Joetsu, so Nagaoka, where the salon is located, was the half-way point and meetings were held as if they were going on a series of dates.
Akebono Ryokan was the first hot spring wedding to be held there, but they were very willing to accommodate us. Both the proprietress and the young proprietress said, “Let us help you with your special day to the best of our ability! From the initial visit and meeting to the day of the wedding, everyone at the ryokan seemed to be looking forward to the wedding with a smile. The proprietress also asked for permission from the Tsukioka Onsen Association to shoot on location in the onsen town. Thanks to this, we were able to take many beautiful photos of the beautiful streets of Tsukioka, the symbolic footbath and the garden under the clear blue autumn sky.
After breakfast, guests enjoyed the day after the wedding, strolling around the spa town and taking their time before checking out. At check-out time, the couple prepared a letter for each guest and saw them all off. The warm personality of the couple was evident right to the end, making it a wonderful day.
detailed data
Venue: Tsukioka Onsen (Niigata Prefecture)
Venue: Akebono, a hot-spring resort
Date: November 2021
Ceremony: Banquet hall
Reception: Heian-no-Ma
Attendees: 25 people
