A Truly Unparalleled Thai Wedding
Thai weddings used to be a complex wedding as it is usually composed of many steps but a unique one for that matter. However, presently Thai weddings have been modified to make it a lot more simple but nevertheless all of the traditions are very well alive and practiced.
Thai weddings usually commence early in the morning. At around 5am, the future couple has to be up this early for they are to give offerings to the monks. Thai monks do their rounds in the morning as soon as they see sunlight on the palms of their hands. These offerings consist of flowers and 3 incense sticks intended for the Buddha, for the words of the Buddha and for the monks. These gifts are exchanged for the couple’s food for the body. This is a strict part of the traditional Thai wedding and should be rigorously practiced. It will be a more enlightening experience if a couple received a blessing from a Buddhist monk. This means that the couple is up for a blessed marriage.
The couple will then proceed to the nearest teak temple to receive a blessing from the temple’s famous head monk. It will be followed by the release of birds, fish or turtles as a sign of merit for the future husband and wife.
The couple will separate for a short while until the wedding proper.The actual ceremony starts when the groom arrives at the place where the wedding is to be held. He is usually accompanied by a joyous parade of family and friends announcing his arrival. The groom has to pass 3 different gates, one is Wood, another is Silver and the last one is Gold. These gates are usually being guarded by the bride’s family and friends. The groom has to convince them that he is worthy for the bride and the guards should consent with this. The groom will be interviewed and if they if they are satisfied with the groom’s answers then he can pass and meet his waiting bride. If one of them does not agree, then the wedding has to be called off. Furthermore, the groom has to give some sort of a dowry to serve as a token for the gatekeepers.
Next is the actual wedding ceremony. The Buddhist priest may or may not be present here as they are already done granting the couple their blessing early that morning. The wedding officiator will then tie the two couples with strings to symbolize union. This part should never be neglected as this tradition has been passed down for generations and is genuinely binding ceremony for Thais. Next, the elders are to give marriage advises to couple. Words of wisdom are usually about how things will be useless without its counterpart and the like. This is a chance for the elders to inspire the couple.
Then the couple proceeds to the fully adorned nuptial bedroom where they are accompanied by the guests. The two will sit on the bed and this will symbolize that the wedding ceremony is completed. The festive feast follows next. Thai truly celebrates their traditional wedding complexly yet so genuinely practiced.
The Cultural Way of Wedding in Thailand
In today’s world where people are so busy with the city life plus the immersed pressure from the economic crisis, it is truly a need for some people to look for places where relaxation and calmness is situated. Especially if someone is planning to settle down and tie the knot. This important event in a person’s life is something to cherish and look for. That is why many couples are dreaming to have that amazing wedding for them.
Of course when it comes to planning a wedding, couples should choose a location where happiness, peace and solemnity are incorporated. Many are choosing to have it in a beach with crystal clear water, appealing coconut trees near the shore and fine powder sand. A tropical experience destined to be enjoyed by couples who would like to treasure such remarkable event of their life.
That is where Thailand enters the planning scene for your wedding. In Thailand there are different types of wedding ceremony but the most prominent type is having the traditional Thai ceremony. Usually, most Thai weddings are prearranged. Meaning couples are already matched by their parents even before they were born. This is very evident to families in a high society who widely practice this one. Although this type of matchmaking is rare to other people, dowries or “sinsod” are still given and the parents of the couple settle for the amount of it. The amount is the value of the woman who will be given to his future husband. It is said that fifty thousand baht is the value for a usual girl from a farm, while hundreds, thousands or even million is for a girl who came from a very rich family or wealthy clan. Wedding photo by www.lotustar.com
Most weddings in Thailand are in Buddhist ceremony. This type is not merely legal in mere sense but for people in Thailand it is a practice where guidance and blessing from monks are sufficient for couples to be joined together and at the same time this eliminates the very thought of taking your married life into legality in other word. Monks are present in the wedding ceremony but such ceremony does not take place in the temple itself. The ceremony is started by bowing in front of Buddha where they spur their prayers while holding lighted incense. The couple submits flowers and food to the attending monks at the same time gives a cash gift enclosed in an envelope. Wedding ceremonies are done usually in the house of the bride in the morning because monks are not allowed to eat after the middle of the day. There should be three to nine monks in a certain ceremony having one lead monk who will bless the merger of the couple.
It is true that it is always the couple’s prerogative to have the kind of ceremony for their memorable wedding. Whether it is legal or faith inclined belief, there is no question that Thailand has a very distinct and remarkable culture when it comes to wedding traditions. by Pacific island Weddings and wedding theme