Eri Sato and Ken Sato, both in their 50s, hold the wedding they once thought was too late to have at a “kominka” cafe in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture. (Akira Miyashita)

Photo/Illutration Eri Sato and Ken Sato are showered with flower petals after their wedding ceremony at a “kominka” cafe in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, on June 7. (Akira Miyashita)

YACHIYO, Chiba Prefecture—At 52, Eri Sato harbored doubts about holding a wedding ceremony, despite having decided to tie the knot with her soul mate, 58-year-old Ken Sato.

“Having a wedding at our age ...,” she recalled thinking.

But after sharing news of her marriage with a trusted high school senior who works as a wedding planner, Sato realized she indeed wanted a ceremony.

“I want my mother, who raised me, to see me in a wedding dress after all,” she said.

The high schooler, Mio Iwata, president of Tokyo-based wedding ceremony company Colorfraise, said she has noticed more people in their 40s and 50s getting married.

She said, however, that older couples are still reluctant to hold ceremonies.

“Some people hesitate to tour wedding venues alongside much younger couples,” she said.

Iwata said she hopes the wedding industry can provide more individualized support for such couples in the future.

Colorfraise, for example, arranged a rather unorthodox wedding ceremony for the Satos.

A WEDDING AFTER ALL

Eri and Ken decided on a ceremony that focused on expressing gratitude to the people who had supported them over the years.

On June 7, they exchanged vows before family and friends in Chiba Prefecture.

The venue was not a shrine, temple, large wedding hall with an attached chapel or a church.

Instead, they chose a “kominka” (traditional Japanese house) cafe in Yachiyo, a place not normally used for weddings.

The choice was inspired by Eri’s childhood visits to her mother’s family home in Fukushima Prefecture’s Oku-Aizu region. It was a thatched-roof house where she enjoyed gathering with relatives on tatami mats.

Flowers decorated the cafe’s small garden for the ceremony, while the reception was held inside.

About 20 guests attended, allowing the couple to spend time with each of them.

“It became a wedding where I could look each guest in the eye,” Eri Sato said with a smile.

QUIET RESERVATIONS

Wedding professionals say Sato’s hesitation is not unusual.

As more Japanese marry later in life, many shy away from wedding ceremonies, feeling they have passed the age when such celebrations are expected.

According to Recruit Co.’s Marriage Market Survey 2025, which polled 821 men and women aged 20 to 49 nationwide, 54.1 percent of the respondents 24 years old and younger held wedding ceremonies, while the figure was 50.5 percent among those from 25 to 29.

Among people 40 and older, the rate dropped to 38.5 percent, the lowest of all age groups.

Wedding receptions showed a similar pattern.

More than 40 percent of respondents younger than 40 held receptions, compared with 34.6 percent among those 40 and older.

“There is a psychological hurdle associated with age,” said Kanako Hioki, editor-in-chief of Zexy, Recruit Co.’s bridal information magazine.

As people age, their social circles tend to become more fixed, and they keep in touch with fewer people, Hioki said.

Therefore, some shy away from widely announcing their marriages, feeling it may seem “a little late” to be holding a wedding.

BEYOND CHAPEL WALLS

At the same time, ceremonies themselves have become more flexible, giving couples greater freedom over how they celebrate.

The turning point, Hioki said, was the COVID-19 pandemic.

As gathering in person and sharing meals in public became difficult, couples were forced to reconsider what mattered most in a wedding.

“There is no longer anything that people absolutely must do,” Hioki said. “What is being emphasized now is expressing gratitude to the people who matter most through the wedding that the couple themselves want.”

The rise of freelance wedding planners and more flexible venue options have expanded opportunities for personalized celebrations.

“Today, the groundwork exists for weddings that fulfill couples’ wishes in the places they want,” Hioki said.

The Satos’ ceremony reflected that shift.

Instead of a chapel or hotel banquet hall, they chose a setting that evoked family memories and allowed them to spend time with every guest.

Related News