Khmer Wedding in Cambodia

 Khmer weddings are marvelously complex 3-day festivals of rituals and rites with the bride and groom going through more outfits than a runway model. Unless the couple has saved for many years or have wealthy parents, it can front-end load married life with serious debt ,But as in other cultures, Khmer society has its own way of making these elaborate weddings possible. Khmer wedding places abound where the bride and groom can rent the costumes and most couples do this. The Khmer bride and the groom have one costume each custom made for themselves to keep as part of their wedding souvenirs. The rest are all rented unless of course you are part of the Cambodian elite ,But why all these rites? These rites accompanying a Cambodian Khmer wedding have their origins in ancient Khmer tradition and are binding not only to the two individuals but their families and communities as well so there are serious expenses matching major commitment. The negotiations are conducted between families with grandmas prominently featured in the process. Unless the two families agree, the wedding cannot really take place.The first Khmer wedding we attended in Cambodia was of this couple in the picture. It was held in the bride's house in the outskirts of the city. The village folks in their fine Khmer costumes were there giving toasts to the bride and groom. It was a big surprise to see the bride and groom changing costumes several times as they went through the many rituals of the wedding.