Wedding season continues at New Life Fellowship Phnom Penh. This time it was Phanna and Rathana’s turn. Like all the Cambodians I have met and become friends with these two are such beautiful, cheerful and lovely people and I know they will have such a blessed life together.
So another early start with the all important fruit walk. Each person carries a plate of fruit next to a partner carrying the same item. This time I scored a plate of apples so it felt a bit more authentic and traditional. The groom leads the possession and I just love the two groomsman carrying umbrellas. I think the photos speak for themselves.
Had to take a snap shot of some of the gifts in the fruit offering. Who knew jellies were an all important fruit gift - hehe I like it.
The evening party is when everyone who is anyone shows us all dressed up and ready to eat and have a good time. I again learnt the lesson of being fashionably late. Now my wedding invite says 4:30pm so I show up around 5:30….yeah that’s fashionably late right – WRONG!!! Most of my friends turned up about an hour later – note to self the next wedding I’m turning up at 6:30. Cambodian timing.
Gift giving at a wedding is very different. At the evening wedding party you hand in your wedding invitation envelope to the people at a desk with your offering to the bride and groom inside. Each envelope is opened there and then and people count how much money is given by each person and it is recorded.
This record is then used as a reference of how much money the bride and groom owe you when they attend your wedding. Whatever you contribute at a wedding it needs to be returned at the same amount or more. This is making things pretty difficult as there are so many weddings occruing – some friends say they are invited to 4 or more a month – and a generous offering needs to be given at each one (a student should give at least $10). Morjority of Cambodians don’t have extra savings that they can use for all these parties so it can be very stressful. Weddings are supposed to be a blessed event but with this cultural tradition of giving, the need to keep face and be honouring to others they are becoming a burden. It’s sad to witness and difficult to know what can be done to help. It’s hard to budget when you monthly wage may be equal or even less than your monthly expenses and then you have all these parties to attend. No one wants to admit that they are struggling but in a poor nation finances are a constant problem.
