Thai Buddhist Wedding ceremony
Thai Buddhist Wedding on Koh Samui
For couples deciding to have their wedding in Thailand, the opportunity to be blessed by Buddhist monks should not be missed.
Buddhism is as much a philosophy as it is a religion. The open minded and tolerant nature of the faith allows the clergy to perform wedding rituals for those who know little about it; and even those who have never practiced the religion.
Depending on the wishes of the couple, 5, 7 or 9 orange robed monks will be invited to perform the ceremony. Incenses and an image of the Lord Buddha create an atmosphere of calm and tranquility, with all those attending sat facing the monks.
Led by the senior most clergy, prayers chanted in the ancient Pali language begin the ceremony and bestow blessings on the couple; who kneel close together in front of the monks with their hands in the traditional wai position - a sign of respect and supplication.
The monks will always be facing towards the West.
The senior monk will drape sacred string around the heads of the couple to symbolize their committment to one another, and he sprinkles them with holy water from a leafy branch. Gifts and small donations are presented by the couple to the monks, after which there are more prayers. The ceremony usually lasts for 30 minutes, and conveys an almost hypnotic feeling on all present.
Water Blessing Ceremony
After the monks depart, the bride and groom kneel side by side on a special pedestal to give their guests the opportunity to bestow their invididual blessings. This they do, one by one, by gently pouring water over the hands of the couple. The water passes through the hands of the bride and groom and into a flower filled vessel beneath.
A Buddhist wedding ceremony is as serene and evocative an occasion as one could wish for, and provides the feeling that one's union is welcomed, and entirely in place, in this exotic land.
Couples having a Buddhist Wedding will be invited to Faraway for a rehearsal a day or two before the event. During this meeting, not only you will be taught the dos and don'ts of a Buddhist ceremony; how to sit, how to Wai and how to approach the monks, but we will also explain the order of service.
