The Real Cost
of Getting Married
in Japan

Hotel wedding halls in Japan sell packages that include a listed base price, then charge separately for almost everything you actually want. Dress rental is quoted from one figure but the garments at that price are rarely what couples choose. The end-roll video (a live-produced film screened at the end of the reception) is treated as standard but priced as an add-on. Return gifts for guests (引き出物) are expected at every table. If you bring in an outside photographer or florist, venues typically charge a bring-in fee of ¥30,000 to ¥100,000 per vendor. A 2025 survey found most couples spent 20 to 40% more than the venue originally quoted. The single most important advice: negotiate every change before signing the contract, not after.

In Japan, wedding guests present cash gifts in special envelopes (ご祝儀袋). The expected amount is ¥30,000 per couple attending, roughly $190 USD. For a wedding of 80 guests, that is around $15,000 USD in gift money coming back to the couple. This is why the real net cost of a Japan wedding is often lower than the gross figure. Many Japanese couples calculate their wedding budget net of expected gifts. For international couples with fewer Japanese guests, this offset is smaller. The estimator on this page shows gross costs; your actual out-of-pocket will depend on your guest mix.

Each location has a peak season. Kyoto is best in late March to April (cherry blossoms) and October to November (autumn colour). Niseko is exclusively December to March for snow ceremonies. Furano’s lavender peaks in late June to late July. Okinawa is year-round, with the best beach conditions from April to October. Tokyo works well in spring and autumn. We can advise on exact timing once we know your preferred locations.

Japan elopement pricing is broadly comparable to New Zealand, though the cost drivers are different. In Japan, venue permit fees and the complexity of shooting in heritage districts like Kyoto add cost that is not a factor in open alpine landscapes. Niseko, where most locations require no permits, is typically the most accessible price point across our Japan locations. The bigger variable for international couples is flights: Japan is further from most English-speaking markets than New Zealand, which can make the total trip cost higher even if the ceremony package is similar. We have a side-by-side comparison of Japan and New Zealand if you are deciding between the two.

We recommend 3 to 6 months for most packages. For cherry blossom and autumn colour season in Kyoto, 6 to 12 months is common, as popular locations and our schedule both book out early. Niseko winter packages book from around July for the following season. Last-minute availability does occasionally come up, so it is always worth enquiring even on a shorter timeline.

Yes. Videography is available as an add-on to any package. When Nomad Weddings handles both photo and video, the add-on rate is $1,900 USD rather than the standalone pricing, since our team is already on location. We handle both photography and film in-house so there is no second vendor to coordinate on the day.

Outside the package, you arrange your own flights to Japan, accommodation, rings, attire, and any marriage registration documentation. Some locations require site fees or permits, which we factor into the package price when quoting. For Kyoto specifically, popular locations require permit applications months in advance, and those fees are included in what we quote. There are no surprise extras on the day.

手数料 (tesuuryou) means handling or administration fee, and it is standard practice among Japan wedding planners to charge these separately from their headline rate. Each email exchange, vendor phone call, site visit, or planning meeting may carry its own line item. On top of that, most planners in Japan charge a commission of 15 to 20% on every vendor they book on your behalf — catering, florals, hair and makeup, photography, transport — as a percentage of that vendor’s invoice. At 17.5% across a full wedding budget, that commission alone can add $5,000 to $15,000 USD before a single guest has arrived. Before signing with any planner in Japan, ask explicitly whether coordination activities and vendor bookings are included in the quoted fee or billed separately. For Nomad Weddings elopement packages (up to 5 guests), all planning communication, coordination, and vendor management is included with no per-email, per-call, or commission charges. For larger weddings, the standard Japanese 手数料 structure applies — we will always outline exactly what this means for your specific event before you commit to anything.