Street-style pre-wedding photography, sometimes called “machinaka wedding,” takes couples out of tourist spots and studios and into everyday places instead — train stations, shopping streets, ordinary neighborhood corners — shot in regular clothes or casual outfits. There’s no single right location; any street that means something to the couple works.
Questions this complete guide covers
- What street-style wedding, machinaka pre-wedding, and street wedding mean, and how they differ
- How to think about shooting in everyday clothes or casual outfits
- How to tell which locations need permission and which don’t
- What kinds of towns and areas people actually shoot in (with real examples from Kuramae, Kamakura, and Koenji)
- A rough sense of cost, plus how to handle self-consciousness and rain
Why Libars started shooting street-style weddings
We started shooting pre-weddings on city streets in 2021, right when we moved our base to Tokyo. Alongside natural locations like the sea and forests, we began photographing everyday scenery as it is — train stations, shopping streets — and that’s where it began. The following year, 2022, requests through Instagram (@libars_tokyo) surged, and we started getting called out to shoot all over the country. Our guiding idea is “More freedom. More art.” There are no fixed rules for a shoot; what matters most is doing what the couple wants, wherever they want to go. Four years in now, the shoot reports we’ve posted on note dedicated to “street” shoots alone number more than 70. From here, we’ve pulled together everything we’ve learned about street-style weddings over those four years.
What is a street-style wedding (machinaka pre-wedding)?
A street-style wedding isn’t limited to spots specially arranged for pre-wedding photography, like cherry blossom lanes or shrines and temples. It also includes shoots set against the scenery of everyday life — train stations, shopping streets, level crossings. Outfits aren’t limited to wedding dresses either; many couples shoot in their everyday clothes or casual wear.
A tourist-spot pre-wedding is a style built around traveling somewhere special to stage one special day. A street-style wedding simply shoots that same special day within the couple’s everyday town. It’s become established enough as a pre-wedding style that bridal magazines run features on it.
Is there a difference between “machinaka pre-wedding” and “street wedding”?
It’s mostly just a difference in naming — the two point to nearly the same thing. Knowing the general pattern of usage makes it easier to find what you’re looking for.
- “Machinaka pre-wedding” / “street-style wedding” — the phrasing commonly used in Japan’s pre-wedding market
- “Street wedding” — a phrasing more often used with a magazine- or fashion-leaning nuance
Libars mainly uses the term “street-style wedding,” but the substance — shooting in everyday clothes or casual outfits at stations, shopping streets, and back alleys — overlaps with what people call a street wedding. If you’re unsure which term to search, either one will lead you to roughly the same content.
What should we wear for a street-style wedding? (Is everyday clothing okay?)
Everyday clothing is completely fine. In consultations with Libars, we regularly hear requests for shoots in everyday clothes only, casual shoots with no hair and makeup, or a mix where one partner wears everyday clothes and the other wears a rental dress.
Outfit combinations mostly fall into these three patterns.
| Pattern | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Everyday clothes only (both partners) | Shot as an extension of daily life. Pairs well with a location that holds meaning for the couple |
| Everyday clothes + wedding dress | Walk the town in everyday clothes for the first look, then change into the dress for the second |
| Everyday clothes, no hair and makeup | For those who want to shorten prep time while keeping the full shoot time intact |
Do we need permission to shoot a street-style wedding?
It depends on the location. Snap-style shoots on sidewalks or in parks, being public spaces, generally don’t require permission in most cases. On the other hand, shopping centers, inside shops, and certain areas of parks usually call for advance permission checks.
| Location type | Permission needed | Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Sidewalks / public roads | Generally not needed | None in particular (needed if occupying the space for a long time) |
| Parks | Depends on the facility | Apply and confirm in advance |
| Shopping centers / stores | Often required | Confirm and negotiate in advance |
| Independent shops (restaurants, etc.) | Depends on the shop | Contact and negotiate directly |
We regularly hear requests to shoot at independent shops too — a shopping street in Yokkaichi, a pottery-experience studio in Kanagawa, and more. Sometimes the couple has already confirmed permission with the shop themselves; other times permission still needs to be arranged.
Isn’t it embarrassing to wear wedding attire out in the street?
Most people feel nervous only for the first few minutes, and settle in as the shoot goes on.
“It was far less nerve-wracking than I expected — we really enjoyed the shoot.”
From an actual couple’s feedback (via our LINE)
Unlike a tourist spot, the flow of people on a city street feels natural, so it tends to feel less like being photographed and more like the shoot is over before you know it, absorbed in each other’s conversation and movement. If you’re still worried about being seen, you can start in a quieter back alley or at a time with fewer people around, then move to busier streets once you’ve settled in.
What kinds of towns and areas can a street-style wedding be shot in?
There’s no fixed answer. Just looking at the “we want to shoot on the street” requests that reach Libars, the range of locations is already quite wide.
- Shopping streets (Osu Shopping Street, around Takasaki Station, a shopping street in Yokkaichi, etc.)
- Station fronts / ticket gates (Shibuya, Nakameguro Station, etc.)
- Level crossings / along the rail line
- Parks (Koriyama, Minato Mirai, etc.)
- Snowy townscapes (moving through the streets of Sapporo, Hokkaido, etc.)
- Independent shops (restaurants, a pottery-experience studio, a crepe shop, etc.)
These are just some of the “we want to shoot on the street” requests that have come in through Libars’ LINE (personal details other than place names have been withheld). From back alleys only locals know about to prime spots right in front of the station, we adapt the shooting style to match the character of each town.
The fastest way to picture what an actual day looks like is to read our articles on towns we’ve actually shot in.
- Pre-wedding photos in Kuramae — a natural shot in a downtown that hasn’t been turned into a tourist spot
- Thinking of a pre-wedding shoot in Kamakura? A real-example guide to Komachi-dori, Enoshima, and Shichirigahama
- Thinking of a pre-wedding shoot in Koenji? A real-example guide to the public bathhouse, Junjo Shopping Street, and vintage shops
None of these are sightseeing tours of famous landmarks — they’re real examples shot within the everyday life of each town. If you want to get a feel for what a street-style wedding is like, start with these three.
How much does a street-style wedding cost?
Libars’ location pre-wedding shoots start from 110,000 yen for the base plan: 90 minutes, 90 shots. A street-style shoot generally falls within this same plan. Extra costs tend to come up when the shoot areas are spread far apart, or when a shop or venue requires permission applications and negotiation.
The exact breakdown is laid out on our pricing page. To put together an estimate, we just need three things: your preferred timing, the number of areas you’d like to shoot in, and your direction on outfits (everyday clothes or a dress). You can check real reviews on our Photorait review page (★4.9, 87 reviews).
What happens on a day with bad weather?
Even on the street, combining covered shopping arcades, roofed streets, and indoor shops widens the range of what’s still possible in the rain. Whether a full postponement is needed is decided case by case, based on the weather and the content of the shoot. Any conditions for rescheduling are explained together at the time of booking.
🎬 This shoot can be captured on video too
Libars can shoot a wedding movie on the same day as your photos. See what the atmosphere is really like in the video below.
Availability and pricing for pre-wedding shoots are handled individually through our official LINE
After adding us as a friend, just send “pre-wedding” and you’re set
Frequently asked questions
Q. Are a street-style wedding and a machinaka pre-wedding the same thing?
A. They refer to almost the same thing. “Machinaka pre-wedding” tends to describe the act of shooting itself, while “street-style wedding” tends to describe the style as a whole, but there’s no strict rule separating the two.
Q. Is everyday clothing okay? Is a dress required?
A. You can shoot in everyday clothes only. A dress isn’t required — some couples combine everyday clothes with a dress, others shoot entirely in everyday clothes, and either is fine. Shooting in everyday clothes without hair and makeup is also an option.
Q. How much of the location permission do we need to arrange ourselves?
A. Public spaces like sidewalks generally require no permission and can be used as they are. For shops or facilities that do require permission, Libars handles the application and negotiation, so there’s no need for you to arrange it yourselves.
Q. I’m embarrassed to wear wedding attire out in the street — will it be okay?
A. Most people feel nervous only for the first few minutes, and it tends to stop bothering them as the shoot goes on. If you’re still anxious, we can also start in a quiet back alley or at a quieter time of day.
Q. Can the shoot still go ahead if rain is forecast?
A. Combining covered shopping arcades, roofed streets, and indoor shops widens the range of what’s still possible. Since it’s judged case by case based on the weather and the shoot content, we’ll let you know at the time of booking whether a reschedule will be needed.
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