Thai Wedding Vows

[paperplates]

Does anyone know what would be said at a Thai wedding ceremony? Replies in English please!

Thanks

[DurianChips]

Does anyone know what would be said at a Thai wedding ceremony? Replies in English please!

Thanks

There will almost always be monks present. They will chant, but it will be in Pali, not Thai, so most people there won't really understand what is being said anyway. It's kind of like Latin mass in Catholocism. As for the remainder of the ceremony, it really depends on where you are in the country, as there are huge regional differences. There really isn't anything akin to wedding vows in Western weddings, where the bride and the groom actually speak, although some young people in Bangkok may be familiar with this idea from movies. Let us know a bit more about where the wedding will be, and the family background (are they chinese-thai, southern thai, bangkok thai, khmer thai, isaan-lao thai), and I'm sure people can provide a lot more information.

[paperplates]

Does anyone know what would be said at a Thai wedding ceremony? Replies in English please!

Thanks

There will almost always be monks present. They will chant, but it will be in Pali, not Thai, so most people there won't really understand what is being said anyway. It's kind of like Latin mass in Catholocism. As for the remainder of the ceremony, it really depends on where you are in the country, as there are huge regional differences. There really isn't anything akin to wedding vows in Western weddings, where the bride and the groom actually speak, although some young people in Bangkok may be familiar with this idea from movies. Let us know a bit more about where the wedding will be, and the family background (are they chinese-thai, southern thai, bangkok thai, khmer thai, isaan-lao thai), and I'm sure people can provide a lot more information.

Any would do. I have to send a telegram type thing for my friend's wedding in the UK. As I live in Thailand, and my husband is Thai (but Muslim), I thought it might be nice to send the Thai (buddhist) equivalent of wedding vows.

Thanks

[gburns57au]

Any would do. I have to send a telegram type thing for my friend's wedding in the UK. As I live in Thailand, and my husband is Thai (but Muslim), I thought it might be nice to send the Thai (buddhist) equivalent of wedding vows.

Thanks

Very little is said by the bride and groom in a Thai wedding....the ceremony seems to be more about blessing the union rather than making promises.

My photo is my wedding here in Oz....I have been through the Thai ceremony and have witnessed many others.

Edited July 28, 2007 by gburns57au

[paperplates]

Any would do. I have to send a telegram type thing for my friend's wedding in the UK. As I live in Thailand, and my husband is Thai (but Muslim), I thought it might be nice to send the Thai (buddhist) equivalent of wedding vows.

Thanks

Very little is said by the bride and groom in a Thai wedding....the ceremony seems to be more about blessing the union rather than making promises.

My photo is my wedding here in Oz....I have been through the Thai ceremony and have witnessed many others.

So what actually is the blessing? Blessing words would actually be more appropriate for my purpose.

[Tywais]

This is the Mangala Sutra (Pali translation) that may be the same used in the Thai Buddhist ceremony.

http://www.khandro.net/dailylife_weddings.htm

[gburns57au]

Any would do. I have to send a telegram type thing for my friend's wedding in the UK. As I live in Thailand, and my husband is Thai (but Muslim), I thought it might be nice to send the Thai (buddhist) equivalent of wedding vows.

Thanks

Very little is said by the bride and groom in a Thai wedding....the ceremony seems to be more about blessing the union rather than making promises.

My photo is my wedding here in Oz....I have been through the Thai ceremony and have witnessed many others.

So what actually is the blessing? Blessing words would actually be more appropriate for my purpose.

As mentioned the Monks blessing is in Pali not Thai.....maybe if you found an english speaking Monk, they could probably help you.

[sutnyod]

So what actually is the blessing? Blessing words would actually be more appropriate for my purpose.

What you (and every other lay participant) is supposed to say during the ceremony is the occasional 'saaaathu'. Just chime in when everybody says it. You do your personal blessings when you tie the string around the couples' wrists, but you can do that using your mother tongue. Tell them when you are about to tie the string that you are going to wish them luck in your own language. That will be okay.

I have always detested the pre-fabricated formulas used during the string-tying and invented my own. But you could inquire what others say in the area you will attend the wedding and learn them by heart.

[khaojao]

sorry to dig up an old thread, i just received an email from a friend asking for newlyweds' greetings - meaning how to congratulate newlyweds - in thai.

she was asking for something along the lines of "have a happy marraige" or "congrats on ur wedding"...can anyone help put them into thai?

ps. it's not a buddhist wedding.

thanks much!

[LookSaMoon]

sorry to dig up an old thread, i just received an email from a friend asking for newlyweds' greetings - meaning how to congratulate newlyweds - in thai.

she was asking for something along the lines of "have a happy marraige" or "congrats on ur wedding"...can anyone help put them into thai?

ps. it's not a buddhist wedding.

thanks much!

I dont know how to translate those into Thai but I mostly say to my friend as

ขอให้มีความสุขในชีวิตคู่ มีลูกหัวปีท้ายปี

[mangkorn]

sorry to dig up an old thread, i just received an email from a friend asking for newlyweds' greetings - meaning how to congratulate newlyweds - in thai.

she was asking for something along the lines of "have a happy marraige" or "congrats on ur wedding"...can anyone help put them into thai?

ps. it's not a buddhist wedding.

thanks much!

I dont know how to translate those into Thai but I mostly say to my friend as

ขอให้มีความสุขในชีวิตคู่ มีลูกหัวปีท้ายปี

LookSaMoon: I am pleased to have you participate in this forum; it is so vital for serious students here to have a Thai who is willing to help us understand some things that aren't explained in books, and sometimes not even by teachers.

Regarding the second part of your phrase, this seems to be an example of Thai semantics that can really throw off some farangs (me, anyway): it says "have a first child, last child," but "what does it mean?" Does it mean "may you have many children", or "have two children," or "have only one child" or "may your first child be your last child"? Thai seems a very context-driven language - there seem to be many holes where words would be in Western languages, but are just understood in Thai - and so when I see or hear something unfamiliar, it can be perplexing to suss out the meaning even if you know the words that are there.

Cheers, and thanks for all your help on this board.

[LookSaMoon]

sorry to dig up an old thread, i just received an email from a friend asking for newlyweds' greetings - meaning how to congratulate newlyweds - in thai.

she was asking for something along the lines of "have a happy marraige" or "congrats on ur wedding"...can anyone help put them into thai?

ps. it's not a buddhist wedding.

thanks much!

I dont know how to translate those into Thai but I mostly say to my friend as

ขอให้มีความสุขในชีวิตคู่ มีลูกหัวปีท้ายปี

LookSaMoon: I am pleased to have you participate in this forum; it is so vital for serious students here to have a Thai who is willing to help us understand some things that aren't explained in books, and sometimes not even by teachers.

Regarding the second part of your phrase, this seems to be an example of Thai semantics that can really throw off some farangs (me, anyway): it says "have a first child, last child," but "what does it mean?" Does it mean "may you have many children", or "have two children," or "have only one child" or "may your first child be your last child"? Thai seems a very context-driven language - there seem to be many holes where words would be in Western languages, but are just understood in Thai - and so when I see or hear something unfamiliar, it can be perplexing to suss out the meaning even if you know the words that are there.

Cheers, and thanks for all your help on this board.

This is what Chinese/Thai here say to groom and bride at wedding ceremony.

I guess it's from old Chinese culture that prefer to have alot of children.

I will try to help as possible as I can.

Anyway I've learnt alot of English on this board too.

P.S. I sometimes confuse with grammar but I think you guys can guess my English.

Edited August 10, 2007 by LookSaMoon

[khaojao]

This is what Chinese/Thai here say to groom and bride at wedding ceremony.

I guess it's from old Chinese culture that prefer to have alot of children.

I will try to help as possible as I can.

Anyway I've learnt alot of English on this board too.

P.S. I sometimes confuse with grammar but I think you guys can guess my English.

thanks for the suggestions...the happiness phrase is simple and meaningful enough and the babies one is a great add on!!

it's interesting that the "blessing" comes from chinese roots. just as a bit of a trivia...the chinese saying at weddings with regards to babies is "zao sheng gui zi" which translate to urging the couple to have babies ASAP

[mangkorn]

This is what Chinese/Thai here say to groom and bride at wedding ceremony.

I guess it's from old Chinese culture that prefer to have alot of children.

I will try to help as possible as I can.

Anyway I've learnt alot of English on this board too.

P.S. I sometimes confuse with grammar but I think you guys can guess my English.

thanks for the suggestions...the happiness phrase is simple and meaningful enough and the babies one is a great add on!!

it's interesting that the "blessing" comes from chinese roots. just as a bit of a trivia...the chinese saying at weddings with regards to babies is "zao sheng gui zi" which translate to urging the couple to have babies ASAP

I understand the urging to have many babies, and can guess it from the context. But I am at a total loss as to how the word structure "have first child, last child" translates to "have many children." is there a key in there somewhere, that I don't see, or is it something you're just supposed to "know"? Khun LookSaMoon: help, please!

[LookSaMoon]

This is what Chinese/Thai here say to groom and bride at wedding ceremony.

I guess it's from old Chinese culture that prefer to have alot of children.

I will try to help as possible as I can.

Anyway I've learnt alot of English on this board too.

P.S. I sometimes confuse with grammar but I think you guys can guess my English.

thanks for the suggestions...the happiness phrase is simple and meaningful enough and the babies one is a great add on!!

it's interesting that the "blessing" comes from chinese roots. just as a bit of a trivia...the chinese saying at weddings with regards to babies is "zao sheng gui zi" which translate to urging the couple to have babies ASAP

I understand the urging to have many babies, and can guess it from the context. But I am at a total loss as to how the word structure "have first child, last child" translates to "have many children." is there a key in there somewhere, that I don't see, or is it something you're just supposed to "know"? Khun LookSaMoon: help, please!

The key is that human can have 2 kids in one year.

So if couple have baby at the begining of year they can have another at the end of year too

if they ขยันทำการบ้าน .

I am sure there are some family that silbring just 11 months old different.

P.S. As Thai avoid to say straight about sex. So ขยันทำการบ้าน = make love often

[mangkorn]

Oops, now I feel silly - the key was right there all along - in the word ปี (beginning of the year, and at the end of the year).

Don't know how I missed that.

Thanks for pointing it out. Also loved the line about "be diligent in doing your home work..."

Cheers.