Misa-chan’s Notes: The haori is a traditional Japanese coat worn over the kimono, and is an essential clothing item in traditional ceremonies.

There were also some mistakes in the article, which ayu clarified on Twitter. The couple were not wearing jackets, no friends attended her ceremony, and she did not make any announcement during CDL (that quote came from Twitter replies)

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ayu’s Casual Shotgun Wedding Registration in Vegas

Hamasaki Ayumi and Manuel Schwarz at the boarding entrance of Narita Airport, surrounded by numerous bodyguards.

Singer Hamasaki Ayumi (32) registered for marriage with Los Angeles-based Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz (30), in a chapel in Vegas, US, on New Year’s Day (2/1/2011 JPN time). Hamasaki announced this on a member-restricted fan site, the same place where she earlier announced her sudden decision to marry. That same day, the couple left from Narita Airport. Sources say that the ceremony was extremely relaxed, with the couple in T-shirts and jackets instead of the traditional haori. ayu will probably continue to have her honeymoon overseas.

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A shotgun wedding on New Years Day. According to sources, the couple reached Los Angeles at around 10am on New Years Day (2/1/2011 3am JPN time) and went straight to Las Vegas. At 6pm, they registered their marriage at the local office. And at 7pm, they held the ceremony in a chapel, with only 10 close friends and staff members in attendance.

Las Vegas isn’t just about casinos, it is also famous for its casual wedding ceremonies, including the “drive-thru wedding”. Cheap weddings costing several thousand yen and expensive ones costing several ten thousand yen can be held. Sources say that the ayu couple’s ceremony was extremely relaxed, with T-shirts and jackets worn instead of the traditional haori.

They also exchanged wedding rings. Photos of them wearing their rings have also been released. After the ceremony, ayu announced her marriage on member-restricted fansite [Read TA diary here]. The couple plan to use their New Year vacation to go on a honeymoon.

After the two met up in Japan, they could be seen flirting openly on Twitter. Schwarz tweeted that 「I’m gonna have a beautiful wife」, while ayu replied with a wink.

During CDL last year, which Schwarz attended, ayu said 「He says “Please put your fans as your first priority.” I’m not the one who says this, he said it himself」, demonstrating their closeness. As a result of the marriage, Schwarz’s Twitter gained about 10,000 followers within 2 days.

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From: Daily Sports Online
Thanks to AyUmIXx@AHS