Notes on the Thai Wedding Ceremony |
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The Thai wedding ceremony is unique. It used to be more complex with lots of steps. Presently, it has been modified to be more modern and less complex. Usually, we will have a Monk Blessing as is the Buddhism custom at the house of the bride or the bridegroom (which will be the place for the event) in the morning. After that, there will be marriage registration. Then, we have lunch together. Many couples do not have this part of the day of the monk blessing and registration at home. They may go to register at the county office the day before or after the wedding.
In the afternoon, the traditional wedding customs will be followed. It is called ROD-NAM-SANG, and is the main event where both the bride and the bridegroom's family get together. They witness this important event. Both the bridge and the bridegroom will sit close together on the floor (or small stage) with their hands held in WAI style (like the way we pay respect to the Lord Buddha). A flower chain connects the hands. The most senior person will act as the leader of the event. He or she will start to soak the couple's hands in water and wish them good luck. The water is contained in a conch shell container (ROD is soak, NAM is water, and SANG is conch shell). Then, the parents and others will do the same. Usually, only selected people like close friends and close relatives will be invited to the ROD-NAM-SANG event. If you are the immediate supervisor of the bride or bridegroom, you may be invited to join the ceremony. Accept it, it's a great honour. Please do not dress in BLACK colours (Dress and necktie). For Thais, the black colour is reserved for a sad event like a funeral. I have heard many Thais complained about foreigners wearing black dress to a wedding ceremony and it is a sign of bad luck to the bride and the bridegroom.
Often in traditional Thai marriage, a close friend of the groom requests the bride's hand to the father. Then talks begin. These are about money, about gifts to be given to the family. These traditions are different from westerner countries. There is often a difficult bargain about the amount of money to be given to the bride's family. The family is thanked for the education of the girl. During the marriage ceremony, money is shown to the guests. Showing all the banknotes means that the bride has made a good marriage and has married a wealthy man. Most of the time the money is only shown in order to save the face of the bride's family but after the marriage ceremony the money is given back to the couple. The Buddhist religious ceremony happens in the early morning. Monks come to the house to bless the newly weds. There is a sum to pay to the temple in order to thank the monks to have blessed the wedding. When the newly weds are not rich enough to afford this, the wife and husband can go to the temple in the early morning to make donations and give food offering to the monks. In the middle of the afternoon, the Thread ceremony happens. The family and relatives gather in a room. In Thai language the Thread ceremony is called "PHITI BAI SRI SU KWAN". A wise man says auspicious sentences. On the wedding day, seven monks are usually invited to make prayers. Food and other gifts are provided for them. There is no wedding during retreat season because monks must stay in the temples and are not allowed to go out. The groom often wears a white Thai style suit. The bride usually wears a Thai dress, not necessarily white. All the guests give a gift to the couple, which is usually cash money. Some guests also give other gifts such as clothes, bibelots... A small souvenir is given to each guest. On this souvenir the couple's names and the wedding date is written.
Newly weds have a white thread joining their heads. An old and wise man says auspicious sentences and blesses the couple. Some symbolic food is given to the newly weds. Most of guests attach a white string around the couple wrists and bless the couple. Then a long thread is attached to the newly weds wrists. The groom and bride tear it on their side until the thread breaks. The one, who has the longest part, is the one who loves more. View the Northern Thailand (Lanna) wedding ceremony of two fahrangs at Thailand Weddings where these photos of Thai wedding dresses were taken. |
Thai Wedding Dress Styles
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The
"BAI SRI" tree is often prepared by friends and neighbours.
It is made of banana leaves. It is in the center of the "BAI SRI"
(holy thread) ceremony. This ceremony has an Indian origin. The tree shape
reminds of the mythic mount Meru (the center of the universe).
