Preparing for the Ceremony

Our day had arrived.  Today was the day of our Thai wedding ceremony.  Like any Thai celebration, the two key components were food and drink in ample supply.  Bunloed's relatives began arriving in the afternoon and the chopping, shredding and skewering began.  The seven sisters, untold nieces and nephews, children, dogs, and friends began rolling out mats, hauling drinks and ice, and chopping vast quantities of food.  We were expecting about fifty guests, but those fifty guests could and would invite other guests, so there was no way to know who all would show up.

The women were busy, their conversation punctuated by the rhythm of cleavers and knives against wooden blocks.  Our lovely host Angelina is in the foreground and Baby Rose is hiding behind her, safe from having her photo published until she is old enough to say yes or no.  

Laughing while working is the Thai way.

While the women chop and prepare, men build fires.  Hey, it's what we do.  Time to grill the meat.  Ugh, ugh,  Men Grill Meat.  Yes, yes!!

As the afternoon waned into evening, My Heart and I were told to dress ourselves in our finery.  If you remember our Bangkok shopping day, you will remember that we bought our sarongs, blouse and shirt at the JJ Market.  Now was time to don we now our gay apparel and prepare to be wed.   While we were making ourselves presentable, the Thai folks were bringing in the neccesaries for the ceremony.

Bringing in the beautiful alter piece made of leaves, flowers and candles.

At the gloaming of the day, the older women tended to the arrangements.  The white strings hanging for the alter piece are an important part of the ceremony.  To bind My Heart and I together, well-wishers will tie a piece of the white string around each of our wrists, signifying our bond to each other.

We included a bit of Western ceremony as well, having brought our wedding bands from Austria.  Because of the legalities of our international wedding, we will have a second ceremony in Austria that is legally binding by the laws of that country.  When we return to Austria later this month, the bands will come off until we are once again wed, this time by the magistrate in Vienna.  

Our host, Bunloed, and his eldest sister.  We have been so welcomed here, so blessed by these fine people, so much so that words will not adequately express how wonderful and joyous this time is.

No wedding ceremony is complete without the posed photos.  Here is the happy couple with the cutest and sweetest group of traditional dancers on the planet.

The precursors to the ceremony were all in place.  We were only waiting on the Brahmin to arrive, the officiant for our ceremony,  As night fell, we tried not to sweat through our fine garments.  Folks were arriving in droves.  The wonderful smells of huge pots of soups and stews mixed with the aroma of grilling skewers.  The Brahmin arrived, wearing his formal T-shirt, and it was time to gather for the actual wedding ceremony.  Under the veranda, packed in with the well-wishers, it was the beginning of our steamy ritual.  

The beginnings were complete.  The ceremony itself will be the stuff of the next entry.  Thank you for allowing me a brief pause between attempts at writing down this most joyous of events.  As always, Ciao for Now!