Weddings in Cambodia

This is the wedding season in Cambodia. Every day it is easy to ride past one or two, or even five or six, wedding banquets on the streets of Phnom Penh. They're hard to miss because the families of the bride and groom set up a large tent right in the street, sometimes cutting traffic down to a one lane or just a walkway, or even blocking the street completely.

A major reason this season is so popular for weddings is that the rainy season is soon to be upon us, and dry weather is a major asset when the common people hold their celebrations outside.

	The actual wedding ceremony takes place in the morning, usually at the bride's house, with just a couple monks and a few friends present. The real celebration is the evening banquet, also at the house. Here, early in the evening, the wedding party waits for the next guest arrival.
	Weddings are a fixed part of the culture. Invited people really must attend because in a country of poor people, the system requires that each guest offer a cash donation upon arrival. No other wedding gifts are given. It is especially bad for the young women. They are invited to many weddings of their friends, and for each they buy a new formal ($20), fix their hair, pay for a make-up session, and then contribute toward the cost of the banquet.
	After greeting the wedding party (first photo above), the guest next encounters this table where the envelope that contained her wedding invitation (and has her name on it) is placed in the silver bowl. The two men then record the amount in the red book behind the bowl, next to the guest's name. Only trusted family members are given this accounting task. Khmer people usually give about $10 per person. Foreigners are expected to contribute $20 or $25. Last week I went to weddings of DDP staff on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings!
	At the back of the lot, behind the house, a crew of professional wedding caterers prepares the meal. One company sets up the tent. Another brings the tables and chairs and serves the food.