Any alternative to a hikifurisode?

Hi there, I am half Japanese and have lived in England all my life. I am getting married in October next year in England and would love to wear a kimono at some stage during the reception. However, hikifurisode are expensive to rent. My question is whether there is anything I could wear instead that would not seem odd to the Japanese eye! Has anyone ever seen a bride in Japan wear a furisode, kuro tomesode, iro tomesode or houmongi to the reception of their OWN wedding? Is it just not done?

Thank you so much for your help!

I'm no kimono expert, but I think kuro tomesode, iro tomesode or houmongi would look out of place for a bride to wear on her wedding day in Japan. But when we had our American wedding (we also had a Japanese Wedding) my wife wore a furisode, while her bridesmaids wore yukata. It ended up looking very nice.

Sz,

The rental shop owners are the experts, so you should turn to them for advise. Personally, I don't think there are any rules on what to wear on your wedding, as long as it isn't too casual compared to the guests and as long as it doesn't imply unfortunate events or wrong seasons. But from a quick internet search, I found this article.
http://tsuru-nakamura.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2009-01-10

The writer says (s)he notices many pre-WW2 brides wearing tomesode in their wedding photos, but thinks that if it were today "you'd think 'Oh?'" I also trust that Yllwsmrf had a lovely summer wedding, but you're not suppose to wear yukata once September is over.

Uco has some good advice, but are there even kimono rental shops in England? Where were you planning on getting one for your wedding? Honestly, since your wedding isn't in Japan then you don't need to conform to Japanese custom, and really most people unaccustomed with Japanese weddings probably won't be able to tell one kimono type from another, or even the difference between kimono and yukata. If money is an issue than go with what you have access too.

For us, the choice to go with yukata was more practical than seasonal. The wedding was in early May and a little cold, but everyone already owned a yukata, and it would have been too for us or the bridesmaids to purchase kimono. And renting also wasn't an option.

Good luck and congrats on getting married.

Thank you for your replies, I have a lot to think about. I think you are right that a tomesode is not the way forward so I will look more into furisodes and hikifurisodes. Also, it is true that as long as I'm not too casual compared to the guests then it shouldn't look too odd and they will all be in western clothes so you can't really compare. I have found a couple of places in London that rent kimono but I'm worried their stock may not be brilliant, but again, I will contact them and see what they have to say. Thanks again for your input. Sz

Sz,

Just to add, what I meant was that whoever you're getting that kimono from, be it a rental shop owner in London or a salesperson in Paris, that person is supposed to know who should wear what in that environment. And if that environment has little to do with real Japanese guests, Yllwsmrf says it all in his last post. But a furisode does sound nice.