Because so many kimono would be prohibitively expensive, wedding kimono are almost always rented, not purchased. Wedding centers buy kimono from the manufacturers, rent them out to brides, and then sell them cheaply to second-hand dealers and flea markets, who sell them to Westerners for use as display or craft items. Although this means that there is no tradition of heirloom wedding outfits in Japan, it also means that people around the world can delight in owning one or more of these beautiful works of art.

 
Introduction to the Wedding Kimono | History of the Wedding Kimono | Symbolism of Kimonos in Wedding Ceremony | Fabrics and Designs of Wedding Kimonos | Use of Kimonos during Wedding Ceremony | Rent or Buy a Wedding Kimono | Meiji Kimono and its relation to weddings