Themed weddings are nothing new, but here's a little tidbit that might surprise all the other themed weddings you've ever encountered: Now you can have an official Pokémon wedding in Japan, thanks to a company called Pokémon Bride Expo” business. And before you ask: Yes, it actually looks like you can have Pikachu at your wedding. I'm not kidding. If you've ever wanted to get married with the help of a bright yellow rat-like creature with the ability to conduct electricity, now's your chance.
Pokemon Bridal Fair is run by Escrit, a Tokyo-based company that operates not only in the wedding industry but also in the construction and real estate industries. (Japan’s large corporations tend to be conglomerates with broad and diverse operations.) Escrit’s influence in the wedding industry, however, is undoubtedly the most notable. In addition to planning and managing weddings (and covering every aspect of a wedding you can think of, down to the tiniest detail), it also operates over 30 wedding venues across Japan. There's no doubt it's a lucrative business—according to a 2016 survey conducted by Zexy , Japan's leading bridal magazine, the average wedding cost in Japan as of fiscal year 2015 was 3.59 million yen, or more than $33,000 .
Yes, the Pokemon Bridal Fair is legal; according to copyright information on the Pokemon Bridal Fair website, Escrit partnered with Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (which co-owns the Pokemon Company) to make this venture a reality. According to the official Pokemon information Twitter account Poke Times, the Pokemon Wedding Show will begin accepting pre-orders on February 27, 2019.
The service's website is only in Japanese - and consists entirely of image files rather than text, so sadly Google Translate can't work its magic for those of us who don't speak Japanese - but English Japanese News Sora News 24 vs 2 Coverage of monthly themed weddings provides valuable details on exactly what's included in a typical Pokemon Bridal Fair package. It all starts with your marriage certificate, which will, of course, be Pokemon themed; then, once you actually arrive at the Escrit venue you've chosen for your big day ceremony, you can also look forward to Pikachu decorated place cards and a show. Your guests know where they should sit and what the festivities of the event will include. A welcome board placed at the entrance to the reception will also bring a spark of Pokémon joy to the entire process.
Speaking of the reception, that includes the food, of course; the menu is inspired by French cuisine, although its presentation is undoubtedly its highlight: each plate's design references Pokémon-esque details, with edible details including one shaped like Pikachu's tail items and macarons that look like Poké Balls. Of course, the cake was frosted not white, but pale yellow, and decorated with citrus slices, leafy sprigs, the aforementioned Poké Ball-shaped macarons, and a piece that read "Happy Wedding" and depicted two Pikachu of plaque. Dressed in their best wedding attire.
But what about the possibility of Pikachu attending your wedding? Well, technically that may or may not be the case. However, you can have a mascot-style Pikachu at your wedding. According to Eli, a German blogger living in Japan, he went to one of the locations hosting the Pokemon Wedding Show preview in Tokyo earlier this year and wrote about the experience on the City Cost website. The two in the photo Pikachu Jean launches the "Pikachu Greetings" event. The greeting costs 600,000 yen, or about $5,500; however, when Eli and her partner balked at the initial estimate the Pokemon Bridal Fair quoted them for their Pokemon wedding, the service was offered to them "quickly" A second estimate was issued, which reduced the Pikachu meet-and-greet fee to...drumroll please...zero yen.
Eli writes that apparently you have to sign the contract for the entire shebang on the spot to get a quote, so the Pokemon Bride Expo seems like a tough sell — but it seems like there's at least some room for negotiation.
For more information about the Pokemon Bridal Fair, check out their official website (though again, note that it's entirely in Japanese); if you'd like to visit one of Escrit's Pokemon Bridal Fair locations or inquire about a real Pokemon wedding, head here to make a reservation ; If you just want to see tons of photos from Pokémon weddings, head here. If you choose to get married with Pikachu by your side, your wedding will undoubtedly be the best one ever.
