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, the
ceremony is held during the day at the house of the bride or the groom
(sometimes at the temple), and is generally fairly small, attended only
by family and close friends. It is usually followed by the marriage registration and
a large evening reception at a hotel or party room, complete with food,
music and entertainment. At a Buddhist ceremony, monks are invited to the
wedding to chant prayers and are presented with alms and food by the
couple. The bride and groom kneel together, and a sacred thread is draped
from one head to the other, forming a circle and connecting the couple.
They each clasp their palms together in the traditional prayer-like
gesture called wai, and one by one the guests pour a conch shell
full of sacred water over the couple's hands while saying a blessing for
good luck known as "Rod Nam Sang" (Water Blessing ceremony.)
Guests then present their gifts to the newlyweds, either by placing an
envelope containing money into a nearby basket or giving a gift.
The groom's family
is responsible for the bride's dowry, a sum that is often negotiated
between the two families. The dowry may be displayed, before the
ceremony, as a pile of cash to indicate that the groom is a good catch.
After the ceremony, the money is generally given to the new couple to
help them start their lives together.
To choose the date
of the wedding, a couple will usually go to the temple where they worship
and consult with a monk, who will determine a lucky day for the marriage.
The date is usually chosen by considering the birth dates of the bride
and groom and by factoring in lucky days and the phases of the moon.
Thai brides don't
have a standard wedding dress but tend to wear a traditional,
close-fitting, brightly colored Thai silk ensemble during the wedding
ceremony. It is often adorned with gold jewelry encrusted with
semiprecious stones. White is growing in popularity, and some brides opt
for a Western-style wedding gown at the evening reception. Black is never
worn — and should not be worn by guests — as it is considered to be
bad luck and the color of mourning.
On the same night, there will be a wedding party. The number of
invited guests is around 100 - 300. People like to organize the function
in the hotel since the facilities are easier to set up. It could be
arranged in different ways i.e. Cocktail style, Buffet Thai food, Chinese
food, or sit down dinner. Whatever the style, the wedding party usually
follows the same steps:
- The dinner party starts around 6 pm; the bride and the groom with
their parents will stand in front of the function room greeting and
welcoming the guests.
- Guests arrive.
- Guests go to register the name at reception area. Guest will sign
the guest-book wishing good luck for the couple. Guests will present
the gift at the registration area. It could be gift or gift
certificate. If you present the gift certificate, value varies
according your position and the position of the bride and the groom.
- Guests take photographs with the bride and the groom.
- Around 7 pm, the dinner starts.
- Around 7.45 pm, the Master of Ceremonies (MC) starts the formal
ceremony. Typically, the MC is one of the close friends of either the
bride or groom.
- The MC invites both the bride and the groom to the floor. A wedding
Flower is presented to them by the parent of the groom.
- The MC calls for the guest of honor. Usually, the guest of honor is
the person who is well respected by the community. The person could be
the immediate supervisor of either the bride or the groom, or could be
one of the relatives. Generally, only one person is enough. Sometimes
there could be 2 guests of honor, one from each side. Usually, the
guest of honor is aware of their role before the event.
- The guest of honor will give the speech. I have seen many Western
guests of honor give a good speech. The speech should be wish them a
good luck and also add some tips for marriage. Some good tips include;
- Marriage is like chop sticks, you need both parties in order to get
things done. Teamwork!
- A spouse likes tong and teeth. They are needed by each other.
However, sometime they crash. Do not be surprised when they clash.
It's part of the marriage package.
- Be calm and cool in marriage. You need both characteristics a lot.
- Forgiveness is the thing that you must practice in marriage.
- A speech should only take 2 to 3 minutes. Do not talk for over 5
minutes, it will annoy other guests.
- After the speech, the guest of honor will asked all the guests to
stand up and toast the bride and bride groom. All the guests will end
the toast by saying CHAI-YO (Cheers) 3 times.
- The guest of honor will step down from the floor. The MC might make
a playful speech and interview the bride and groom on how they met,
how they fell in love, and tell some other fun stories about their
love (if the MC learns it before the event). This part is optional.
It's depends on how good the MC is in his job.
- Next, the bride and groom will cut the wedding cake and serve some
guests. Usually, they will serve the parents, senior relatives and the
guest of honor.
- After that, the bride and groom will walk around for pictures or
movies with all the guests. Typically, the friends of the groom will
use this opportunity to individual salute the groom by offering a
toast.
- The party finishes around 10-11 pm.
Then, the couple lives happily together. It's a happy ending story!
