Thai Wedding

Early in December we went to a birthday party for our friend Eva, and there we met Mam & Joe and her parents. They invited us to share their little table & we had fun getting to know each other. Her parents speak very little English, but Mam's is great - she used to work for Korean Air, and now she & Joe have an import/export business in Bangkok. The next thing we knew, we were being invited to their wedding in late January! What a thrill & an honor to be invited to this fancy yet traditional Lanna style Thai wedding.

Here's the entrance to the grounds where the ceremonies & the banquet were held. It all started at 9:00 am!

We signed the guestbook, were offered a silk scarf by these lovely ladies,

and placed our gift/envelope inside this beautifully decorated container,

and had our picture taken!

Here we are with our friend Chiarit, whose wedding we attended on our last visit!

This great flowery peacock couple were a part of the photo-op area.

Here are Mam's parents with some other family members. At this point, Joe greeted us and told us what to expect - he made us feel very welcome!

While Mam waited, Joe along with his family & friends arrived in a noisy procession to bring the dowry to Mam's parents, and to claim his wife. All along the way, he was halted by these little gates held across his path by Mam's friends & family - he had to joke & bribe his way past each one.

And, every step of the way, this lovely lady danced in his path: Temptation!

Here's a short video of the dancer and the procession:

Behind Joe & his parents came his aunt & uncle carrying... cash!

Other family members carried the flowers Mam & Joe would wear all day, and the rings! There were many other items brought in the procession, including food, other jewelry and plants.

The small, noisy band for the procession.

The family members flowed into a large room where Mam & her parents waited, and watched the presentation of the dowry.

Then the photos were taken. Be sure to notice Mam's spectacular outfit - the first of three for the day!

We think this girl was part of the family, but she missed it while she sat putting on make-up the entire time!

Next came a formal ceremony in another large room. The man in white sang a long solemn song with many guests watching. The large flower arrangement was truly amazing!

Next came the string tying ceremony - a ritual that binds the couple together. The lovely white flower arrangement was in fact made up of buds of cotton string instead of flowers! The buds were unwound for each guest as they participated in the ritual.

The guests were encouraged to offer their blessings and advice while tying strings around wrists of the bride & groom. Sada, Beverly & I gave Joe and Mam our best wishes!

Next came the feast! The food was wonderful & our group found a table that turned out to be in the perfect spot - right in front of the entertainment! The couple made the rounds & had photos taken at every table. Top: Ming, Mam, Joe & me. Seated: Eva, Beverly, Sada & Om.

Isn't Mam's second outfit gorgeous?

Here's a short video of some of the dancers.

And another group of lovely dancers!

The band played wonderful music & the British singer was adorable! When she sang Thai songs, the crowd would sing along.

Joe & Mam reappeared during the music. The paparazzi went mad seeing her in this fabulous taupe/brown/gold gown, her third amazing outfit of the day.

Joe looks pretty fabulous too.

I had to add another picture showing the back of the dress as well as the awesome orange orchids in her hair. During this time Joe & Mam posed for photos with many people, including the singer. They surrounded her for the shot while she was singing & it so surprised her that she dissolved into giggles, it was adorable!

Here's a pic with a close-up of the wonderful flower garlands that were part of the dowry and the make-up girl who finally got her look just right!

As we were leaving we wandered through the restaurant connected to the wedding event area. It was filled with very interesting seating areas unique tables & chairs... and this gigantic basket lounge under the golden bamboo! It was heavenly to kick off our shoes & relax inside for a little bit.

It was a wonderful day, and we were so thrilled to be a part of a traditional Thai wedding.

Congratulations to Mam and Joe!