A Thai Christian Wedding

working on the decorations, I laughed
at where she kept the scissors

the flower that I did myself

Last Saturday during Vision Trust the accountant was going around and asking teachers to help set up for his sister’s wedding the next weekend. I happened to be standing by the teacher who he was asking to help decorate and so was included in the invitation/expectation to help set up. So, yesterday after Children’s day was over I came home for about an hour to rest, and then went to the school where I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening helping to decorate. There were several LONG rolls of fabric, and we made them into rosettes, and then draped them over to the next post where we made another rosette. By the last one they had me switch from helping hold things to doing it on my own. The teacher told me that it could be my new job when I go to America, and I had to explain that we don’t readily have long rolls of fabric and that American’s wouldn’t necessarily think it beautiful. After we finished the rosettes in the meeting hall, they brought dinner to the school for us to eat. We ate, and then set to work decorating a table. You wouldn’t think it would take that long to decorate a table, but then again you’ve never decorated a table as intricately as we did this one. First we had to pin three pleats into the fabric every four inches or so. It was then my job to go around and fold each of the pleats in to make a loop. The teacher then went around and would take 2 pleats from one side and one from the other and pin it together, then alternate it two more times so that in the end there was a diamond in the middle. It was my job to get the pins ready and hand them to her throughout the 3+ hour process. We finally finished after ten at night and came home. The next morning I went and taught my Vision Trust class and then was told by the janitor that the teacher was looking for me. So, I found her back in the meeting hall where she said we had to make more rosettes on the ground and then someone would come and hang/drape them over the stage. So, we set to work and created 5 more rosettes before having the groom come and hang them for us. We then had another table to decorate in the same way we had done last night. We finished a little after 1, and then were driven to the brides house where we were fed lunch. They explained that it is Karen tradition that the bride’s family take care of the visitors and anyone who helped out with the wedding. So, it was expected that we go and eat because we had been helping. After we finished eating, we had about an hour until the wedding was to start. It was amazing, we were at the brides house an hour before the wedding and it didn’t appear that anyone was in a big hurry, and most of the family wasn’t even dressed or getting ready yet. I came home and showered and got ready then a teacher came and we walked over together.

working on the table

Last night I had learned that the wedding had to be at the school because the couple had been living together and the churches here won’t allow them to get married in the church if they have slept together, so the wedding had to be at the school. Also, the bride’s father was having the uncle give her away because he wasn’t happy that she had met the guy and quite college before graduating and they were already living together. He at one point said it would be better if he was still single and had never gotten married and had children.

this is what 3 hours of work by 3 people looks like

The wedding was fairly similar to our weddings, but they had a few extra girls to carry candles to light at the front and one who carried the bible and then read from it. There were two ring bearers and flower girls, and then only a maid of honor and best man, not a big wedding party like is often the case in America. At the beginning they had a man explain the wedding ceremony and what would happen because the groom was Buddhist as were all of his family and friends. I thought that was nice to explain to them what would be going on and why so they would at least have a little bit of understanding.

the second table that they let me work on

After the wedding ceremony they had a dinner on the court in front of the school. It was a Chinese Table (at least that’s what it translates into) which had 8 courses that they bring out one at a time. I sat with some foreign friends so that I would understand the conversation and to catch up with them, and get to know a new couple who just moved to Sangklaburi about half an hour away. For the first time in Thailand there wasn’t any alcohol on the table, just a bottle of water and two bottles of pop, they did have singers that was the grooms father’s business, but they announced that the girls would be dressed more appropriately than usual and wouldn’t dance at the request of the bride’s family. I was very impressed by that and so was able to enjoy the music for the first time in Thailand without having to divert my eyes and feel bad for the girls on the stage.

the wedding

Overall, it was a beautiful wedding. I enjoyed spending time with the teacher helping set up, and learning how to make the rosettes and table decorations, and also enjoyed seeing a Christian Thai wedding for the first time. I’m sure there will be many more weddings to attend in my future as I get to know the people and the community better J

exchanging rings