What is Marryoke?
Marryoke is the ancient Japanese art of making a pop video at your wedding. Dating back to 312 BC, Marryoke was first introduced into Japanese culture by Emperor Koan (392 – 291 BC) who had watched far too much MTV. A vibrant everyday part of royal oriental culture, it was first introduced into Western culture by Alexander the Great who, upon deciding to marry his goat, wanted a video made...
Okay, so that’s not entirely true. I’m mucking about, and that, in a nutshell is what a Marryoke should be. It’s a bit of fun, executed seriously and built for laughs. Get it wrong and it looks cheesy beyond belief. Get it right and it is unbelievably fun.
And what exactly is it? Put simply, it’s a Pop video of your wedding day, with lip-syncing to the music track of your choice.
How do you do it? You hire a videographer with experience in weddings, promos and commercials, who knows how to grab the right moments during a busy day to elicit a performance from you, miming to the backing track as it plays on his phone, and who knows from years of experience how to edit a fun narrative from the results.
Why should you do it? Many philosophers have tackled the great questions in life – What is justice? What is the meaning of existence? How many therapists does it take to change a lightbulb. (answer; well the lightbulb has to want to change first)
Yet only the esteemed 5th Century philosopher Plato has ever answered this question with the curt answer – “Yes, sure, if you’re game for a laugh”
Yet there are so many reasons why Marryoke can be a terrific part of your wedding, so without further more ado, here they are, the…
1,582 Reasons why you should have a Marryoke
Okay, so apologies here. There are not 1,582 reasons to do it. I counted maybe six, and that’s stretching it. So if you’ve forgiven me this ridiculous lie, here they are:
1. It’s easy.
Okay, if you’re a shrinking wallflower then it isn’t. You don’t need to be Beyonce to do it, but you do need to be a little bit outgoing, a little bit someone who likes to perform, someone who if asked to do a Karaoke at an office party, might actually get up and do it, without having drunk five bottles of gin first.
By the way, in answer to the question, "can you marryoke drunk?", as you can clearly see, yes you can.
2. It’s fun
Your wedding day is supposed to be enjoyable. Of course for a lot of people it can be a nerve-wracking day of organisation and worries about commitment, where you anguish over every detail, where you worry you’ve made the wrong decision, have chosen the wrong person, have made a decision that will ruin your life forever… mmm, I’m not putting this quite right am I?
Having a laugh on your wedding day is not for everyone. It is a huge day of commitment and for many, that means taking things very seriously. For others, however, it is simply a day to be involved, to celebrate your union, and to have as big a laugh as possible. Is Marryoke for you? If you think it is, then yes it is.
3. Everyone can get involved.
Many couples want their friends and family to have as much fun as possible, often organising quizzes and games and activities for their guests. That’s where Marryoke can fit right in. Are your friends closet pop-stars? Is your Dad a frustrated comedian? (most of them are). Is your Auntie Roberta Bishop Stortford’s answer to Dusty Springfield? Then here is a chance for them to kick loose, have a laugh and be a fun part of your day.
4. But isn’t it cheesy and naff?
Many years ago, in a previous millennium, wedding photography was considered the occupation of the burned out, the jaded, the faded and the failed. Yes, we’ve all heard the horror stories and seen the pictures of glowing vignettes and pastel spot-coloured bouquets. Back in that previous time, wedding photography was the cheesy, naff province of middle-aged men who had dreamed of being David Bailey and failed.
Fast forward to 2017 and wedding photography has been raised to a cool new art form, populated by bright, sexy, tattooed young hipsters, cool kids who can make you look like a rock star couple, who have embraced love and romance with a combination of youthful passion and artistic drive.
And so it is with Marryoke. Mmm. Well maybe not. As I said before, if you get it wrong, it can be cheesy and embarrassing beyond belief. In the hands of the right film maker, however, it can be a chance to really show off, to really have fun and to have a little something to remember from your big day that is all about love and laughter.
It’s also a chance for family and friends to join in and cut loose and have their little bit of fame.
5. Even cows can do it.
This is Mildred. Mildred is a cow. But not just any old cow. Mildred was runner up in the UK Karaoke Superstar finals at the Cromer and Happisburgh Livestock and Tractor-fanciers yearly show. Mildred was so hurt at first that we didn't ask her to join in that she couldn't give milk, no matter how hard the farmhands yanked. Yet once she had had her moment of fame, oh how easily her udders yielded. A real pro, a real star. I hear she has garnered interest from such luminaries as Simon Cow... ell. (I'm really sorry)
6. Look back and LOL
Not everything about your wedding needs to be perfect. You also want to look back and remember how much fun your friends and family were on that day. Did you shine? Did they make you laugh? Did the father of the bride walk into the bathroom to find the videographer stood in the bath filming the groom half naked, shaving and lip-syncing to Elton John? (The answer of course is yes, he did).
7. Watch Rachel and Simon's hilarious Norfolk Barn Wedding Marryoke, as they lipsync to Elton John's Don't Go Breaking My Heart, and decide for yourself.
