My First Khmer Wedding!

Well, I have survived my first Khmer wedding! Yesterday, about eleven in the morning, my co-teacher called me and invited me to the wedding of (I think?) my vice school director’s daughter. Since we have five days off of school for Water Festival, I needed something to drag me out of my room, away from my books and laziness to something back in the social realm. I accepted and we agreed to meet the following morning.

So seven o clock the next morning, my co-teacher arrived at my house. He and my family laughed at me as I ran inside to retrieve my bike, refusing the offer to hop on the back of his moto. First of all I have no idea how I would even attempt that in my sampot, the long traditional Khmer skirt that’s reminiscent of drapes and allows your legs about a ten-inch radius of wiggle room...

We arrived at the groom’s house a little after seven, and were soon handed trays of bananas to carry in the procession. Khmer weddings consist of two parts: the procession in the morning in which fruit is carried from the groom’s house to the bride’s as an offering, and the party which follows in the evening. So my co-teacher and I each held a tray of bananas and hopped into line as it was starting. Somebody told us we were in the wrong spot, so we jumped back in line with the other banana holders (apparently, there is a strict order to these things). And we were off! A dtroh player in the front led the way with help from the beat of a drum. Once at the bride’s house, she came downstairs with her bridesmaids. Everyone looked beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as the bride!

The bride and groom met… I have to admit, I got a little knot in my throat. They are so in love! Afterwards we all sat down to have breakfast together: rice soup, fruit, and pastries of sticky rice wrapped around banana, coconut, and honey. While we were eating, my co-teacher taught me the Khmer names of a couple of fruits I hadn’t learned yet and I attempted to teach him a few in English. “Clementine” I said pointing. “Lemontime” he said, nodding his head in agreement. “No, Clementine” “Yes yes, I know: Lemontime” I guess I couldn’t expect him to pay much attention with all the surrounding excitement.

While we were eating, the bride and groom went upstairs to pray to the family shrine and thank the ancestors for bringing them together. Later in the day, my co-teacher told me, they would cut each other’s hair, as a symbol of them starting their lives anew together.

After breakfast, we all went home to rest a bit for the coming festivities in the evening. I once again delved into my book, but with less guilt, as I knew I’d be partying it up later!

Four o clock rolled around and I rode my bike back to the party. I met one of my neighbors outside and she sort of adopted me for the evening as another one of her kids. She held my hand and led me into the party, sat me down at a table, poured my beer, and even peeled a shrimp for me at one point.

There was a feast: we ate rice (of course) with fish, beef and greens, roasted duck, chicken and peanuts, pâté, and shrimp soup. I sort of picked around the meat the best I could, but it was all delicious! Nobody really talks much while eating in Cambodia, but it didn’t matter because there was a band on a stage, serenading us loudly with boppy Khmer music the whole time. After we ate, and it was getting a bit later, people started moving around more, talking and laughing, some starting to dance. My neighbor grabbed me by the hand again and led me near the stage, where we watched the band and she offered the singers a flower when they would come off of the stage.

One of the singers came over to me at one point and told me to let him know if I wanted to get up and sing… It could be in English, he said, just let him know if I wanted to. I said maybe next time. J

I called it a night fairly early, heading home to my family and back to my books. It was a fun evening though, and I’m really happy I went! First Khmer wedding= success.

the fruit at the groom’s house

standing in line before the procession started

my co-teacher! with his tray of bananas

I couldn’t resist jumping out of line to get a pic of everybody from the front

the dtroh player!

walking to the bride’s house

groom waiting for the bride to accept her gifts

bride coming down to greet him

bride and groom meeting. ahhh, so happy!

bride and groom being serenaded. check out those socks!

eating rice porridge

the alter upstairs with all the fruit we’d brought