galery-marriage-the-traditional-combines-with-the-modern

A traditional wedding required stamina and for the families involved, plenty of money. The celebrations were spread over several, very long days, and involved many changes of intricate costumes. The length of the weddings was dictated by the wealth of the bride and groom’s families. The ceremonies the lucky couple went through were based on ancient myths and stories from the country’s Khmer past. Weddings started with the groom’s party traveling to the home of the bride for her dowry. Three traditional Khmer music were played, followed by an elaborate tea ceremony. The hair of both bride and groom was then symbolically cut and their wrists bound together with blessing strings. Some parts of these celebrations were intimate and private, for close family only, but most were open to a large audience.