Almost six months since the big earthquake. We received happy news from a bride in Kumamoto at Marry ♡

2016.09.27 published

The Kumamoto Earthquake that Occurred on April 14

Hello, this is Haruno Tsuzaki, the editor-in-chief of marry.

It has been nearly six months since the Kumamoto earthquake occurred on April 14, 2016. The damage caused by the earthquake is said to amount to 1 trillion 640 billion yen, and I’ve seen news stating that it will require caution for tremors for decades to come.

It seems that some major roads are still closed, and the physical and psychological damage experienced by the residents of Kumamoto and Oita, who lived near the epicenter, is immeasurable.

Many brides faced postponements or cancellations of their weddings due to reasons like the collapse of wedding venues, stating that preparing for a wedding was not a priority.

The Birth of the 'Kumamoto Bride Support' Network Amidst This Situation＊

Some may have thought, "Is it okay to be concerned about a wedding?" or "It might be inappropriate to think about weddings during a major disaster." However, despite such anxieties, the "Kumamoto & Oita Bride Support" initiative spread quickly after the earthquake.

Businesses conducting charity efforts and those offering items for free or at low cost emerged, creating a movement on Instagram to support brides-to-be from the affected areas of Kumamoto and Oita in their wedding preparations.

➡ Check out the '#KumamotoBrideSupport' tag on Instagram＊

marry-xoxo.com

We have also introduced this in articles on marry, and at that time, we placed Kumamon in the header of the marry site to cheer on the Kumamoto and Oita brides.

➡ See the marry article＊

Even now, posts supporting Kumamoto brides continue, with many individuals across Japan cheering on the BIG DAY of the Kumamoto brides. Recently, a collaboration project between the wedding dress shop JUNO and wedding sommeliers, scheduled for October, has become a topic of discussion.

A Wonderful Message from a Kumamoto Bride Arrived a Few Days Ago♡

And a few days ago, I received a very joyful update via DM on our marry Instagram♡

This came from Minami (@ukiukiwedding), a Kumamoto bride who experienced an earthquake two days before her wedding, leading to a forced postponement.

Kumamoto Brides Held a Wonderful Bride Gathering♡

The message I received said, "Kumamoto brides are doing well and are moving forward with their wedding preparations, while also coping with the disaster. We were able to hold a bride gathering."

Here is the full post that Minami shared on Instagram about the Kumamoto Bride Gathering↓

I uploaded a video on YouTube showing the recent Kumamoto Bride Gathering. After the earthquake, lifelines were cut, and we spent anxious days with strong aftershocks. On top of the already exhausting situation, my long-awaited wedding was postponed two days prior, leading to many tearful days. The Kumamoto earthquake was truly a painful and sad event for us.

The participants of this Kumamoto Bride Gathering are all brides who have overcome such disaster and are preparing to hold their weddings. The reason we can prepare for our ceremonies in a positive manner again is thanks to the warm words and all the support received from across the country through '#KumamotoBrideSupport'.

We must not forget our feelings of gratitude at that time, nor can we.

As an expression of gratitude to the brides from around the country and everyone who offered warm words, we created a short video in collaboration with videographer @9tee__. The cameraman expressed a desire to "capture the current Kumamoto," and visited the still-affected Kumamoto Castle, the great nature of Aso, and the beautiful sea of Amakusa to film the present landscapes of Kumamoto.

If you have time, I would be delighted if you could take a look. The video is here.

Weddings Are Special for Everyone

Did you get a chance to watch the video?

This Kumamoto Bride Gathering, hosted by Minami (@ukiukiwedding) and Yuki (@sy_109wed), has already planned its second event! Those who have been pained by the news of the Kumamoto disaster and anyone who has provided support can see that the Kumamoto brides are starting to overcome the disaster in this way.

May All Brides Have the Most Happy Wedding and Preparation Period♡

At marry, we will continue to strive to create a site that makes the wedding day and the preparation period, known as the pre-bride life, for all brides in Japan, including those in Kumamoto and Oita, cute and joyful＊

May every day of all brides be filled with cuteness and happiness♡