My wake-up call to get to the wedding came at 4:00am. That would’ve been alright had the wedding party not pushed me to “dike” (slam in one gulp) beer after beer the night before.
First things first. I put on socks for the first time ever in Cambodia. (Yes, they’re mismatched and holy).
Luckily, the groom was waiting with energy drinks. I needed to be alert for the EIGHT HOUR CEREMONY.
The biggest effort of the entire Khmer wedding process is wardrobe.
Throughout the day I changed into four elaborate wedding costumes that were provided for me. It took a team of two people to assemble some of the pants on me.
The groom and one of the groom’s men are Cambodian-Americans who live in Michigan. They both fled Cambodia’s genocide as teenagers. They even had to leave their parents behind.
Now the groom is marrying a Cambodian woman from Puok—my host family’s friend. They plan to both live in Michigan. It’s the second marriage for both the bride and groom. They each have children.
I won’t explain all the details of the wedding traditions, from the hair cutting of the bride and groom, and the presentation of the pig head to the bride’s parents, to monks and feeding ancestors, to the parade of the entire wedding party down the National Highway.
I’ll let the pics tell the story. These are a handful of the best from more than 150 pics taken.
Me and my host mother:
Now, after a two-hour break, I’m headed to the reception. I’ll be wearing my fifth wedding costume of the day. I think we may hit the 14-hour mark on the total time for this wedding.
EXHAUSTED….but having a blast!
I am just speechless! I am also amazed at the many times you had to change clothes! Wow !
I can definitely say the weddings are VERY colorful!!!! You look great in each one! The pig head is way too much for me! Have to hear all about that custom for sure! I can’t imagine how exhausted you are! 14 hours of celebration is so unreal!!!! You were a wonderful best man!!!!!
Love you!!!!
Thanks Mom.
The pig head is an ancient Chinese tradition (there’s a lot of Chinese lineage in Cambodia) and if you noticed in the picture, the pig’s tail had been cut off and put in its mouth. It’s meant to symbolize a good beginning and end of the wedding day (just not for the pig). And, nothing is thrown away, the parts of the pig not eaten as part of the wedding feasts are offered to the ancestors.
Love ya.
OMG! I cannot believe the weddings there!! All those costumes??? WHY did he tell you to get the white shirt and black pants?? CRAZY! And the pig’s head??? GROSS!!!!!!! YOU are an unbelievable person to endure all that with a smile on your face!!! Well…..that first picture of you might be the tell-all!!!
LOVE YOU!!
I had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat. I was just honored they wanted me to be part of it. It was cool to finally get to see how it all works. The pig head is an ancient Chinese tradition (there’s a lot of Chinese lineage in Cambodia) and if you noticed in the picture, the pig’s tail had been cut off and put in its mouth. It’s meant to symbolize a good beginning and end of the wedding day (just not for the pig). And, nothing is thrown away, the parts of the pig not eaten as part of the wedding feasts are offered to the ancestors.
And, as long as the day was, the white shirt and black pants I bought came in handy for the first very small ceremony at 5am, then again, toward the end of the night when they were taking all the costumes out. As with everything in my life here, something is always lost in translation (even though the Groom is Cambodian-American, a lot of the instructions came from the bride and her daughter in the Khmer language).
Love you!
You look amazing. What an experience that must have been. I love all of the costumes. Fourteen hours!! Speechless. You are a champ.
OSU won last night. Go Pokes.
It was a blast. Now, I really understand weddings here. Guests only go to the reception, so I’d never seen the whole process until yesterday because I’d always just been a guest.
I know a few people who might have something to say about your OSU comment
I think I like the Pink and Black the best. However, the red and black looks pretty good too. Do you get to keep the outfits? If so, maybe, when you get back, you can lend them to your cousins to wear to the next Thompson wedding. We’ll start a new tradition called “Whose turn is it to wear Travis’ wedding clothes”?
haha. I wish I could bring all those back just for that game, that would be funny. But, I had to give them all back…
WOW!!! Do you get to keep any of the outfits? You look EXTRA handsome! I hope the reception went well – and you are getting some rest! Love, Kaki
Nope, don’t get to keep the outfits. Most of them are rented. Thank you! Love ya.
Wow! That’s so cool to be in the wedding party and to wear all those traditional clothes. Looks like a wonderful start for 2012. Happy New Year Travis!
Happy New Year to you too Cathy!