Wedding

The Japanese House and Garden (Shofuso) is a beautiful place to hold a small wedding ceremony and to take wedding photographs. You can rent the site for an intimate ceremony in this unique Japanese setting. The House and Garden is not available for receptions. It is open from April through October. Rental sessions are available Tuesday - Friday 4:15 - 7:15 pm and Saturday and Sunday 5:15 - 7:15. Special arrangements can be made for Monday.

You may use either the garden or the house for your ceremony or wedding photos. However, the only part of the garden that is suitable for a wedding ceremony is the area in front of the veranda. This area is small and only a few people can stand here, such as the bridal party. Most of your guests will be in the house, either in the main room or on the veranda.

Please keep the following in mind
-I n addition to the wedding couple and officiant the site can accommodate up to 35 guests. 
- Everyone must remove their shoes in the house
- Everyone must wear socks or paper slippers in the house, including the veranda
- Everyone must sit or stand (some chairs can be provided for elderly guests with advanced notice)
- To show respect, please do not sit on the tokonoma or shoin area (these are not benches)
- Heavy equipment that may damage the expensive hinoki wood may not sit directly on the wood; we will provide a mat for these items to be placed on.
- The garden bridge is unstable and may not be used.
- No food or drink on the site
- No throwing rice, flowers, birdseed, bubbles in the house (you may do this outside)
- Photos are for personal use only. They cannot be used for commercial or advertising purposes. If you wish to use photos for this purpose, you must obtain copyright permission first.

Enjoy the melodies of traditional Japanese music during your ceremony. The Japanese House and Garden can arrange to have a local musician play the koto during your wedding. Scheduling is based on availability of the musician. The cost for this additional service is $300.

Sake is a very perpetual element of Japanese culture. At traditional Japanese weddings, the bride and groom drink three bowls of sake with three sips each. This ritual is called san-san-kudo. The Japanese House and Garden can arrange a san-san-kudo ritual for the bride and groom. A staff member dressed in a kimono will serve the sake and provide background information so your guests will also understand the ritual. The cost for this additional service is $100.

If you have your wedding ceremony at the Japanese House and Garden, a copy of this statement must be included in the wedding invitations.

“Socks on wood - shoes on stone.” In keeping with Japanese tradition you must remove your shoes before entering the Japanese house. Everyone (including children and the bridal party) who enterers the house must remove their shoes. Shoes must remain outside the house on the shelves provided for you. You may not carry or hold them during the ceremony. The reason Japanese remove their shoes before entering a house is because they want to keep the house clean. Therefore, if you exit the house and walk around on the stone with your socks, your socks are now dirty and you will be asked to wear paper slippers. Staff is very strict and will enforce this policy.

According to Pennsylvania law, you may not enter a public building barefoot. Because the Japanese House is a museum it is a public building. If you are not wearing socks, stockings, tights or nylons, you will be given a pair of paper slippers. You should bring your own socks to wear when you enter the house.

Wedding Rental
$800 for 2 hours
$200 for each additional hour

Wedding Photos
$350 for 1 hour
$200 for each additional hour

Please click here to download the Wedding Rental Contract

Please click here to download the Wedding Photo Rental Contract

Please click here to download the statement to include in your wedding invitations
Friends of the Japanese House and Garden
Ohio House, 4700 States Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19131
Phone: 215-878-5097 Email: info@shofuso.com