Japanese travel agency now offers ‘solo weddings,’ complete with bridal photo shoot with stand-in groom
posted Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 1:22 PM EST
Marketing is a powerful tool. Case in point, ‘solo weddings,’ a rising trend in Japan.
Created and offered by Japanese travel agency Cerca Travel, these ‘solo weddings’ allow a single woman to partake in a barrage of wedding-like activities. This includes picking a fitted gown, enjoying a florist’s custom touch of flowers and naturally, having a bridal photo shoot.
Prices start at roughly $2,645 and includes a ‘luxurious Japanese wedding kimono or dress’ and a location photo shoot experience tour, which includes 2 days and 1 night in a hotel. Add-ons can be included in the package, including a Japanese stand-in groom.
Once the experienced is booked and the bride has arrived, she will be taken to a dress shop, where she will be fitted for her wedding dress/kimono. A florist will match a bouquet to her dress. The following day, a stylist will ensure the bride is primped and pampered as any bride should be on her wedding day. Once make-up and hair are finished, a professional photographer takes the bride on a complete photo shoot.
After the photo shoot is complete, the bride can proof her images and have some heart-to-heart time with the photographer and stylist. In no more than a few weeks, the bride will receive her images via USB and a small album.
Cerca Travel President Yukiko Inoue said to Mashable, the goal of these solo weddings are ‘to encourage women to have positive feelings about themselves.’
Roughly 30 of these packages have been purchased so far with 39-year-old Tomoe Sawano saying about it, ’I was really entertained and reinvigorated by this package. It boosted my self-esteem. I had always looked tired, but with the help of the staff I managed to capture the beautiful shape I have while I’m still in my 30s.’
Whether a marketing ploy or honest goal to help refresh the lives of women feeling the pressure to be wed, it seems people are buying it up. Be sure to have your packages ready for when this trends makes its way westward.
To take a look at the full details of what the experience provides, you can head on over to Cerca Travel’s website, here.