We have our first visitor! It’s Grandpa Don, Mark’s dad, who flew in yesterday from his home in San Antonio. Ever the gracious guest, Don gamely came along as we dragged him to one of our favorite local spots, Sankeien Garden.

Back in April we visited Sakeien at night for some nighttime o-hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. Today’s daytime visit showed us another popular aspect of Sakeien–wedding photos! But first some obligatory background on the garden itself.

Sankeien Garden got its start in the early 20th century when a wealthy business man named Sankei Hara built himself a fancy house on a nice plot of land near the water. He started filling his property with historically significant buildings from around the country that were in danger of demolition. Sankeien Garden is famous for its changing seasons, and every time we visit something else is in bloom. Today we saw azaleas and hydrangeas, including an azalea bonsai competition on display.

After wandering about and snapping photos of the family, I started to see lots of brides. And grooms, I guess–but who notices them? The brides all gamely smiled and flashed the Japanese V as I snuck in a few photos.