A traditional Japanese wedding often costs at least $100,000, but over the past decade, thousands of Japanese couples have opted for a cheaper alternative: getting married in the United States.

Japanese weddings are extravagant and expensive affairs — but in some different ways than US weddings. The dream is still of a once-in-a-lifetime event, but the steps are just slightly different.

A gay couple, consisting of a 45-year-old man and a 53-year-old man, pose for their wedding photos with a photographer from Onestyle, at a chapel in Yokohama, Japan, February 7, 2024.