Sunday was a lucky day on the calendar (tai-an) so I suppose there were several shinto-style weddings going on at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. One new couple was coming out of the main hall, while another was posing for formal photos off to the side, presumably about to go in for their ceremony.

 

A Kannushi shinto priest clears the path of tourists before the couple walks out.

A Miko shrine maiden assists in the formalities. As an aside, you can see behind her that the year 昭和42 (Showa42 = 1967), my birth year, is highlighted in red. Red is usually an auspicious color, but in this case it means that 2008 (Heisei 20) is the unluckiest possible year (yaku-doshi) for me, so I had a special ceremony at Yasaka Jan. 2 and made a larger donation than usual.