Do They Wear Those Shoes in the US?

Last night, Robert and I went to the wedding of a school district employee, Nong Bee (the bride). While I can't say for certain how closely this wedding resembles most other Thai weddings, I can say that it was very similar to the others we've attended. So with that small sample size, I will now describe what the experience of a Thai wedding might be like.

In our case last night, because the wedding was in the city an hour away and many other school district personnel were attending, we were able to catch a ride. Our friends Pi Noy -- who also works at the school district -- and her husband Por Or Wirat, together with their Norwegian exchange student Chanon (age 17) picked us up in the late afternoon. The ride over the mountains made me a bit carsick so I arrived at the party feeling somewhat under the weather.

In general, Thai weddings are not religious ceremonies. But because the home of this bride was too small to accomodate the large number of guests (500), the party was held at the local temple anyway. The ceremony actually took place in the morning -- date and time having been determined by fortune tellers some weeks earlier -- with just family and close friends attending, so this dinner event was the reception.

Upon arrival, we signed the guest book and staked a table. Once all seats at the table were full, the servers started to bring food, one plate at a time for all diners to share. The first two plates were appetizers -- strange crackers, nuts, and preserved eggs. After that came salad with fish, a whole fish, stir-fried vegetables with shrimp, meat soup, and fruit. Pi Noy ordered me a plate of vegetarian fried rice so I wouldn't go hungry!

Once the bride and groom had arrived, guests went to take their pictures. Later in the evening, they visited all the tables, so guests could take more photos, give their envelopes with money, and receive their party favor (a glass key chain).

Lots of these features are similar to what you might find at a wedding reception in the U.S.: Dinner, party favors, guest book, etc. One that is strikingly different, though, is the presence of the "dancing girls." We haven't quite determined how or why this particular aspect of Thai culture arrived on the scene, but it was sometime in the last 25 years. At many major events -- housewarming parties, weddings, even funerals -- families will rent a large stage, music equipment, and an entourage of dancers, mostly female and mostly wearing scanty clothing. With the music blaring for hours, the girls dance with moves that make most Peace Corps Volunteers turn their heads away. We have even seen these girls at temple festivals.

Last night, as Chanon and I compared wedding customs in the USA and Norway with those in Thailand, I couldn't remember whether or not the high-platform shoes worn by the dancing girls are currently popular in America. I shouted over the music that I thought maybe high school girls wear them sometimes. Anyone over there can feel free to update me on this!

Anyway, the first photo shows Robert and me with the wedding party. The second shows Robert dancing in front of the stage with our aerobics instructor, Kun At. One other note -- the white wedding dress is a relative newcomer to the Thai wedding scene. Most northern Thai brides still wear traditional, brightly colored, northern Thai wedding dresses. Nong Bee had several photos displayed of her in a red dress, as well.

And it's getting hot again -- the cool season is over! I miss it already.