Thai Brides

[Jaimie]

Just curious if anyone knows how many times Thai Bride will changes during day festivities- from morning to night, if festivities include buddhist wedding and night reception?

ie. Does this depend on cultural background- those of chinese descent- change with tea ceremony,

then with monk blessing, then with Thai wedding, then with reception, then maybe cake cutting? What colours are appropriate with each change of dress ?

Also how many bridemaids/best man does the couple typically have? What colours for bridemaids are appropriate?

Thank you!

Jaimie.

[BambinA]

Just curious if anyone knows how many times Thai Bride will changes during day festivities- from morning to night, if festivities include buddhist wedding and night reception?

2 times

basically ,in morning we wear TH /Chinese's costume, and Night time just likea a farang bride's gown

Edited November 9, 2006 by BambinA

[Jamie]

I thought my lady friend was kidding me when she told me the ceremony lasted throughout the day.

[sbk]

No such thing as bridesmaids and best men, only the family is involved in the morning ceremony. Close friends will attend but not be involved.

Evening is just a big party with everyone coming to eat and drink. Never seen a cake cutting at a Thai wedding either, only when a farang is involved. In fact, I'venever seen a cake at a Thai wedding either.

[Jaimie]

Thank you your comments!

[chownah]

Customs vary from region to region and from social status to social status.

Chownah

[Clearskyinbkk]

Nowadays cake cutting can normally be seen in a Thai wedding reception held at a hotel in Bangkok or in the center of big cities, even though no farang is involved. I saw cake cutting in every wedding I attend in Bangkok but in a typical Thai wedding in rural area, wedding cake is hardly seen because a wedding ceremony is normally held at a bride’s house. But some well-to-to families also prepare wedding cake,even though a party is not held at a hotel.

However, Thai wedding ceremonies in different parts are different. I’m from the south and I notice that the wedding parties in each province in the south are also different. In my hometown, normally a wedding lasts two days. In the first day two wedding parties are held separately at a bride and a groom’s houses. The bride and the groom just wear casual dresses. General guests normally attend the parties in the first day. So if they are the groom’s guests, they just go to attend the party in the groom’s house where they don’t see the bride. The bride and the groom have no chance to meet each other in the first day as they are very busy with the guests in the parties at their own houses. As no exact time is indicated in the wedding cards, the guests can attend the party anytime of their convenience. But normally they make it at around 6-8 pm. In some parties the last guest left the party at almost midnight. Typically, food is prepared by neighbors. They are very nice and kind enough to help prepare and serve the food for the whole day, without any money in return. What they get in return is plenty of food which the whole family can enjoy for a few days. When there is a wedding party in the village, they are very happy to help and it is a good time for everyone to get together.

For the second day, the groom goes to the bride house when the real wedding ceremony is taken place. Only relatives, close friends and guests of honors are invited to accompany the groom. In the morning the bride wear a traditional Thai dress. Monks are invited to the bride’s house to pray for the bride and the groom. After the monks finish guests are invited to pour holy water into the bride and the groom’s hands, giving the blessing to them. The bridesmaid and best man are here standing behind the bride and the groom. Normally the ceremony is finished before lunch. After that the guests are invited to lunch, while the bride is changing dress from a traditional Thai dress to a normal bride’s gown. Then the couple goes out to meet the guests. Normally, the wedding party is finished after all guests left but if the bride and the groom’s houses are not so far from each other, the bride and her relatives and close guests may go to the groom’s house and there is another ceremony arranged at the groom’s house. But this is optional.

However, if a groom is a farang, the arrangement will different. He will have to stay in a nearby house of a bride’s relative and the ceremony is taken place at the bride’s house, with a wedding party after the ceremony. In this case the ceremony is not as complicated and time-consuming as what I explained above.

This is a typical wedding in a part of Southern Thailand which, I believe, is different from what many of you have seen in Isarn or other parts of Thailand.