TOKYO, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Japanese brides are increasingly opting to fulfill their wedding dreams abroad, abandoning the local hotels where celebrations are typically held.
In 2003, 40,357 couples held their weddings in overseas locations including Hawaii, Guam and Saipan, according to the Kyoto-based Watabe Wedding Corp., which handled nearly half of them, reported the Japan Times Friday.
"An autumn wedding in a castle in Europe is also popular, with swans swimming in the background," said company spokeswoman Yukiko Aoki, adding, "People will spend what it takes to realize their wedding dreams."
The number of overseas weddings arranged by the company in the first half of 2004 was up 15 percent from the same period in 2003, picking up from a three-year slump due to fears of terrorism and SARS.
Although such weddings account for only 5.5 percent of all registered marriages, Francois Knockaert of Osaka's Swissotel Nankai, said he was worried. "Weddings make up a third of hotels' revenue," he pointed out.
