The local team behind
your Japan elopement.
You’re planning one of the most important days of your lives, in a country you may have never visited, in a language you don’t speak. You need more than a photographer. You need people who are already there — who know the locations, speak English fluently, and will handle every detail so you can simply arrive and be present.
We built the team
we wished existed.
When international couples started coming to Japan to elope, most destination wedding companies were coordinating their days from overseas — sending couples to venues they’d never visited, with vendors they’d never vetted, through a language barrier neither side could bridge. The results were predictable.
James started Nomad Weddings in 2012 with a simple premise: the best destination wedding company is one that is actually there. Not coordinating from afar, not parachuting in a photographer, not subcontracting to whoever was available. A real, local team who knew every location, every light window, every permit requirement, every hidden corner that doesn’t appear on any tourist map.
That team now spans Kyoto, Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Okinawa. Every member is English-speaking. Every member lives where they work. Over 1,000 couples from more than 40 countries have trusted us with their day. When you work with Nomad, you are working directly with the person who will be beside you on yours.
Five things that make
us different.
Most of what you’ll read on destination wedding websites sounds the same. Here are the specific differences that matter when something goes wrong with a venue permit at 8am on your wedding day.
Our Japan Crew.
The people who will be there on your day.
Every Nomad team member is introduced to you before your wedding day. You will know exactly who is arriving, what they are handling, and how to reach them. No strangers. No surprises.
James founded Nomad Weddings in 2012. Born in Japan and raised across Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand, he spent 22 years building a wedding photography career in New Zealand before returning to Japan to build Nomad’s local team. He is based in Niseko year-round, leads creative direction and operations, and shoots Hokkaido elopements personally.
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Aiko is the person who makes complex plans feel effortless. Based in Tokyo, she manages venue permits, floral styling, hair and makeup scheduling, outfit rentals, guest logistics, and every logistical detail a Tokyo or Kamakura elopement requires. Couples consistently name her in reviews as the reason the day went so smoothly.
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Chebi is Nomad’s Kyoto specialist — photographer, videographer, and planner in one. She navigates Kyoto’s notoriously complex venue permit landscape with ease built from doing it repeatedly across every season. Cherry blossom and autumn foliage elopements are where she excels, giving couples access to private locations most photographers cannot arrange.
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Yuri covers Miyakojima in Okinawa and Furano in Hokkaido as planner, photographer, videographer, and drone pilot. From tropical beach elopements on Miyakojima to lavender-field sessions in Furano, she also steps in as celebrant and florist when the occasion calls for it — making her one of the most versatile team members in Japan’s destination wedding industry.
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Our New Zealand team operates under Nomad Wedding NZ, handling helicopter elopements, pre-wedding shoots, and destination weddings across Queenstown, Fiordland, and the Southern Alps.
Tomomi brings 12 years of guiding experience in Queenstown and is the operational anchor of the NZ team. She keeps everything running smoothly under pressure and shoots weddings and pre-wedding sessions across the South Island.
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Ayaka has photographed over 500 weddings in Japan and New Zealand. Her style is soft, natural, and unhurried — suited to couples who want something intimate and quietly elegant rather than posed or performative.
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James and Aiko are the most genuine people. I was honoured to have them make our day so special. Aiko greeted us and whisked us away to get hair and makeup done, even bringing snacks so we didn’t get hungry. James let us choose our ceremony spot, and Aiko came with us to every location holding our bouquets, keeping our daughter occupied, and making sure we didn’t have to worry about a thing. This team couldn’t have made our day any better, easier, or more personal.
Five regions.
One local team.
We don’t send photographers to locations they don’t know. Every region has a dedicated team member who lives there, knows the best light, and has navigated the permit process many times.
Cherry blossom season, autumn foliage, moss gardens, and bamboo groves. The most in-demand Japan elopement location — and the most permit-complex. Chebi manages this every season.
Urban shrines, bamboo forests, coastal beaches. Aiko handles full logistics for Tokyo area elopements, including Kamakura and Chiba locations.
Powder snow winters, lavender summers, Mount Yotei as a backdrop. James is based in Niseko and shoots here year-round across every season.
Lavender fields in July, golden patchwork hills in autumn. Furano is one of Japan’s most visually distinctive elopement locations and one of the most underrated.
Turquoise water, white sand, no crowds. Japan’s tropical island elopement destination. Best from April through October before typhoon season.
Helicopter elopements to mountain glaciers, Fiordland, and the Southern Alps. Operated by the same team under our New Zealand brand.
What couples
ask us most.
Our team members live and work in Japan year-round. Aiko is based in Tokyo, Chebi covers Kyoto, Yuri is based in Okinawa, and James is based in Niseko, Hokkaido. We are not a travel photography company — we are a local team with deep regional knowledge built from working in these locations every season.
Yes — all communication, planning, and on-the-day coordination is conducted in English. Every team member speaks English fluently. We handle all Japanese-language logistics on your behalf, including venue permits, vendor communication, and legal paperwork. You are never left guessing what was agreed.
Nomad Weddings operates across five regions of Japan: Kyoto, Tokyo (including Kamakura), Niseko (Hokkaido), Furano (Hokkaido), and Miyakojima in Okinawa. We also operate in New Zealand through our sister brand, Nomad Wedding NZ.
Nomad Weddings has photographed and planned elopements and intimate weddings for over 1,000 couples from more than 40 countries since founding in 2012.
Nomad is the only Japan elopement company with a resident, multi-person local team across multiple Japanese regions. Most international photographers travel to Japan for shoots or book through local vendors the couple has never met. With Nomad, the photographer and planner you confirm in your booking are the exact people who show up on your day — no substitutions, no strangers, no surprises.
Yes. Our team can guide you through the full legal marriage process in Japan for foreigners, including the required documents, ward office procedure, and timeline. We recommend starting this process at least three months before your intended date. For a complete step-by-step guide, see our Japan Elopement FAQ.
Ready to meet
your team?
Tell us your date, your preferred region, and what you have in mind. We’ll come back with the right team member for your location, clear availability, and concrete next steps. No commitment required.
Phone: +81 090-3399-7122
Or use our contact form for a detailed enquiry.
