Our Thai Wedding – The Best Day of My Life

When I boarded my flight at Heathrow to start a new life in Thailand, I didn’t think for one minute that things would progress so quickly. I’d enjoyed my time in Minburi, in Bangkok’s suburbs, to the max and had met an amazing woman. We’d moved to the northeast of the country and looked forward to our wedding day. Now, that was an experience.

Once I knew I had met someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and she thankfully felt the same way, it was time to plan. I was vaguely aware of how things might work in the UK when getting married, but what about Thailand?

As an easy-going sort of bloke, I decided to leave it in the hands of Taew, my bride-to-be, and her family, while being aware of some of the disaster stories that seem to pop up online regularly. 

I was certain from visiting Sisaket and meeting other members of the family that I had struck lucky, something that certainly makes or breaks relationships in a foreign land.

Stocking Up for the Big Day

Planning the Big Day

I presumed we would get married at the village temple, but instead the monks would come to our house. Because it has a large outside area, it was more than capable of staging the whole event, providing an immediate financial saving compared to a Western wedding.

Taew's mum, a wonderful lady respected in the village through her community roles, booked the date with the monks, and set about putting other things in place. Catering for up to 100 guests was booked through a company that would also provide 10 large round tables, seats, and gazebos for shade.

A week before the religious service at home, the legalities were dealt with at the Kanthararom local authority offices. With Taew’s mum and uncle as witnesses, a government official asked the relevant questions and asked us to sign the papers before we went to a restaurant by the river. All very low-key but nice.

In essence, completing the registration at the local authority office is what legally formalised our marriage, while the later home ceremony was the traditional religious celebration. 

Outfits were hired for the ceremony a few days later, and Taew booked a make-up artist to arrive early in the morning before the service to look stunning. We had been to Makro to stock up on drinks, as travelling guests would be arriving in 2 minibuses from Minburi the evening before.

The Big Day Commences

It was quite surreal not knowing what would happen next, but it was great fun catching up with friends over food and drinks at home. It turned into a late night, with karaoke and dancing, before I needed some sleep as the alarm would be sounding at 6 am.

In true Thai style, some without a hotel ended up sleeping on the floor in our lounge. It wasn’t a problem, though it felt a bit strange waiting in a queue to get a shower and put on my traditional outfit, especially as I headed back past monks who were getting ready to bless us while I was covered in just a towel.

The monks recited prayers while we sat in front of them. Traditionally we would be on the floor, but we were given chairs as Taew was concerned I would be uncomfortable. Those who’d travelled from the capital arrived in their vehicles after the blessings, which I thought meant that they had missed the service. How little I knew!

The Wedding Ceremony

Many villagers arrived. Taew'

s father and brother had arranged many of the bales of hay into a seating area for photos, as guests waited and posed with us. I had never been in such demand. The older ladies gathered, as some drank Lao Khao local rice whisky to get in the mood.

Some of my mates were married to Thais and knew the procedure but decided to let me find out for myself. I was thoroughly enjoying myself even if I didn’t know what was going on. Seeing so many people want to celebrate with us was truly humbling and entertaining.

The local preacher man arrived, who seemed to be popular with all the villagers whenever I’d seen him. He was certainly a character, whose appearance reminded me of Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii, while his voice was like that of Irish racing commentator Michael O’Hehir, only speaking in Thai, obviously. 

Learning the Ceremonial Procedure

I was taken into the lane outside by friends and soon-to-be in-laws. When given the signal, they led me towards the house, where one of them stood as guardian. I had to give them 100 THB to pass three times and then shout inside that I loved Taew. I was then shown to my seat, with her waiting for me.

I was nervous and worried that Taew was not enjoying herself, totally forgetting it was also a huge day in her life and different for a Thai, as the service had a deeper traditional and cultural meaning. The dowry, or sin sod, which is part of the traditional marriage arrangement, is a respectful financial offering to a Thai family. Ours was displayed before being put away for safekeeping.

Blessings that involved the congregation, as well as us, continued before we placed wedding rings on each other’s fingers. When our preacher friend had finished, our guests queued to tie string around our wrists as a blessing for good luck, with some attaching cash while others gave us envelopes containing gifts. All of which was recorded on film by Taew’s son, Cartoon.

Let the Party Commence

It was before 11 am, but time for the party to commence. The food was superb, with a wide range of dishes, including a pork knuckle on each table. I was worried about my farang friends being looked after, but there was no need as a hero emerged.

Min, who introduced himself to everyone as Bodyguard, took control, commandeering an Esky full of ice-cold beer to ensure nobody waited for a drink, while joining in himself, of course! By the end of the day, my mates told me that he had a bar in town. It was certainly a case of lost in translation.

I continued to circulate among the guests with Taew, thanking them and making sure they were OK. So many wanted to talk to me, but in truth I didn’t know what they were saying, so I smiled and nodded along. The day continued in the same way. Taew and I dressed down for comfort as it was going to be a long day.

A Fun Afternoon

Karaoke commenced, so I gave the crowd a couple of Scorpion numbers which always went down well with Thais. An ice cream vendor on a motorbike and sidecar came into the garden and quickly sold all his goods. It was so heartwarming seeing so many people having such a great time. 

Pad Thai and Massaman curry were served in the afternoon to anyone still hungry, as the drinks continued to flow, with more boxes of beer and whisky being collected from the shop in the next village. 

Slowly the crowds began to disperse. By evening, only guests from Bangkok staying locally and a few relatives remained. It was well past midnight when we called it a day, on an occasion I would look back on with affection for years to come.

Watch Our Wedding Here!

Reflections

If any of you reading this are invited to a Thai wedding, be prepared for a very long day. Dress respectfully but also consider the climate. I highly recommend mixing with the locals and having fun. You’ll be taken in as one of their family.

If you happen to be getting married to a Thai, I suggest leaving the organising to them, but try to find out what it will entail on the actual day and be comfortable with any financial arrangements to avoid later upset. It is important to consider that Thai weddings can differ significantly between regions, families, religions and circumstances. 

I have absolutely no regrets about our big day. The weather was beautiful, and everyone seemed to have an amazing time. I wish we could do it all again. This time I’d know what was going on. Or maybe not. Why spoil things?

If you enjoyed this story, you could also watch our wedding day in the video. I also share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football, and travel across the country on my YouTube Channel.

Thanks for reading.