Being a bride is a hassle. Except for one thing.

August 27, 2006 (Sun) Butsumetsu

I held a wedding ceremony.

It was a hassle, to say the least. Above all, the preparations were hopelessly tedious.

But even for someone like me, there was one thing I was looking forward to.

I never had a desire to get married, nor did I want to have a wedding ceremony. Even though I got married, I had no intention of holding a ceremony, but I ended up doing it at the urging of both my mother and my mother-in-law.

Honestly, I didn't care about the date either. I listened to the pitch at a wedding venue recommended by my mother-in-law and just booked the first available date. It was a Butsumetsu (an unlucky day). It was the height of midsummer, so it was cheap.

Because it was a referral and a Butsumetsu, they gave us an all-you-can-drink package for 100 yen. Neither my husband nor I have many friends, so it was a small ceremony with about 70 people. We rented out one floor of the venue, and they included light snacks and drinks in the waiting area for free.

Thinking back on it now, I think that was a huge bargain.

However, I didn't feel particularly excited. It was just a hassle. I am a natural-born slacker. There is no way the preparations for a wedding would not be a hassle.

Would you like a beauty treatment?
▶︎ If it costs extra, no thank you

How about a costume change?
▶︎ The default range is fine

What about the outfits?
▶︎ The most expensive one among the defaults
※ Regarding this, my husband's outfit was so tacky that I paid extra for it.

Any entertainment?
▶︎ It's a hassle to ask anyone, so no. I'll just bring bingo and prizes.

Music?
▶︎ Whatever you recommend.

A video?
▶︎ It's a hassle, so no.

A letter to your parents?
▶︎ Huh? No way. → Well, I guess I have to. → Ugh, fine. (What a pain.)

A welcome board?
▶︎ Too much work. Oh! Your friend will make it for me? Thank you!!

With that kind of attitude, I prepared for the wedding with no particular preferences, just wanting to get it over with. Everything was a hassle. I was warned that I wouldn't be able to eat or drink during the reception.

When they asked, 'We have an event where you can experience the food and atmosphere of a reception, would you like to try it?' I said yes just for the food, but for some reason, I ended up being the bride in a mock wedding, wearing a wedding dress alongside the models. I couldn't eat the food, and I felt so out of place that I remember being very embarrassed.

I was a bride who wondered what was so fun about weddings.
However, there was one thing I was looking forward to.

There was only one thing I wanted to do at the reception.

That was to have my husband carry a beer server and go around the tables pouring beer for everyone!!

My husband and I both love beer.
Even after I started drinking alcohol, I didn't think beer was delicious.
I started drinking beer when I was 21, after being half-forced into it by my beer-loving husband whom I had just started dating.

The more I drank, the more delicious beer became.

If a restaurant had Kirin Lager, we would both be happy.
When we didn't have much money, we drank Tanrei or Green Label to save even a little bit.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, Kirin Free helped me out.
Even when I knew that having a child would put a strain on our household budget, I couldn't reduce the number of beers we drank.
We were helped by new-genre beers and drank Honkirin.
After drinking shochu for a while, I grew to dislike new-genre beers, and after coming full circle, I started loving Ichiban Shibori.

When I stand in the kitchen to cook, I place my favorite beer glass on the counter.
It's the perfect size for 350ml.

I take the coldest can out of the refrigerator.
I tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle.
I pour the beer while touching the can to the rim of the glass.
So that it doesn't get too foamy.

Gradually, I straighten the glass to a right angle to adjust the amount of foam.
My preference is for the foam to be 3 to 4 centimeters from the top.
Once I've poured it all, I take a big gulp.

My parched throat is filled with the golden liquid.
As the refreshing taste and umami spread through my mouth, it leaves a bitterness at the back of my tongue at the end.
I savor the aftertaste as I swallow it down my throat.

That is such a pleasure that I pour one beer after another.

It's the best when I'm making fried food.
I snack on a freshly fried piece while gulping down beer.

Crunch
Crisp
Juicy
Gulp gulp
Gulp
Ahhh

A privilege for me as I prepare meals for my family.
A blissful time.

As such a beer lover, I had my husband carry a beer server and go around to each table.
Since there was also a candle service option, it meant we ended up going around the tables twice.

Back then, I was such a fool that on days when I had a drinking party in the evening, I would stop drinking water from the afternoon to prepare for the all-you-can-drink.
There's no way such a beer fanatic wouldn't enjoy going around pouring beer from a server.
There's no way it wouldn't be a blast.

That fun wedding ended, and we headed to the after-party.
Our few friends threw an after-party for us.

Our friends prepared entertainment for us beer lovers.

A beer tasting challenge.

They prepared about five different brands for us.
Even though we were already plastered, we held a beer tasting.

(As a side note, even though I was the bride, I was drinking in the wedding waiting area, and I was eating and drinking normally at the reception too. There is a photo of me biting into a shrimp at the head table, so there is no mistake. I couldn't possibly leave delicious-looking food in front of me.)

The results of the beer tasting.

My husband got a decent number of them right.
As for me... it was a crushing defeat...

It was a crushing defeat, but a crushing defeat from someone who publicly declares themselves a beer lover apparently makes for a perfect snack with drinks, and needless to say, it was a hit.

Beer is delicious.
I might not be able to tell the difference in taste, but
beer is definitely delicious.

And it lifts my spirits.

Whether it's the depressing wedding preparations, times when work isn't going well, or times when something happy happens, beer is by my side no matter what.

If I were asked what I would want to have before I die, I would definitely answer beer.

Today, too, I tilt my glass at a 45-degree angle in the kitchen.