The Marriage Time Prayer

At the beginning of the ceremony, a Shinto priest purifies the bride and groom, and the assembled congregation
 A Shinto priest reads out the formula to announce the marriage to Hachiman Okami (deities) and seek the blessing and protection of the kami to the couple.
A Shinto maiden dedicates a sacred dance.
The bride and groom exchanges nuptial cups three times and drink three sips from each of the three cups of the rice wine that was placed before the kami. This is generally called “san-san-kudo 三々九度” (literally, three three nine,referring to the three sips from three cups, total of nine sips).
The groom reads out the marrige vow in Japanese.
he bride and groom make offerings of tamagushi to the kami to vow their marriage.
To make a strong bond between the couple’s relatives, they share the rice wine dedicated to the kami.

History

Shinto Wedding in the current form originated from the wedding ceremony held in 1900 of the then Crown Prince, sbsequently the Emperor Taisho, at theShinto Sanctuary in the Imperial Palace. Since then, a Shint style weddng ceremony based upon the ceremony held at the Imperial Court was spread among the people.

The Prayer