Wendel + Diana Cambodian Wedding | Jacksonville, Florida
So, if you’ve been keeping up with insta stories (if you don’t already follow along, click here) you would have noticed that we had a couple that had 2 weddings this past weekend. Same couple —-> two weddings. The first was a traditional Cambodian wedding (the bride is half Cambodian) and the other was an “American” wedding at the Jacksonville Library.
This blog is all about the first wedding, the Cambodian wedding. This is going to be the most colorful blog you’ve ever seen!!! Diana + her mom had to school Jerico and I about all things Cambodian weddings. I was immediately intrigued by the traditions, customs and outfits!
The first thing you’ll notice are all of the outfits! OH. MY. GOSH! I LOVED them! Unlike a traditional American wedding, the bride has 3 completely different outfits that she changes into for each ceremony. Each outfit was decked out with all kinds of bling! Diana had a headpiece, anklets, bangles, an arm band, necklaces and belts. Everything was pieced together so perfectly by a Cambodian wedding specialist! Each bottom is actually a large piece of fabric that is then wrapped and styled on the bride. Yep, once you’re in your outfit, there are no bathroom breaks =). And don’t you worry, the groom had his fair share of gold chains and he even had a golden sword!
A Cambodian wedding typically takes place at the bride’s mothers house. This wedding had 3 different ceremonies which symbolize different aspects of marriage (in Cambodia, a wedding last several days). Each ceremony has its own outfits (the groom and bridal party all change outfits as well) and more importantly, traditions.
The day began (at 9:00 am) with the groom, his family, and friends “traveling” to the bride’s home bearing gifts to the bride’s family as dowry. Escorted by live music, the entire wedding party parades, (behind the groom) through the street as they make their way to the bride’s front door. The bride’s mother greets the groom at the front door, accepting all the the gift the groom has brought (which symbolize the blessing of the engagement). All of the gifts were then arranged on the floor in the center of the room, in front of the bride and groom. Then, the bride made her grand appearance and the bride and groom went into a ring exchange.
The next ceremony was the hair cutting ceremony. At first the name of this ceremony scared me a little bit. They don’t actually get their hair cut but back in the day, they actually did!!! But now, it’s done with beautiful golden scissors that aren’t sharp! To prepare the bride and groom for their life as a married couple, their hair was symbolically cut, representing a cleanse, a fresh start to their new relationship together as husband and wife. The bride’s parents performed the first symbolic hair cut and wished the couple happiness, prosperity, and longevity. Then, the groom’s parents, relatives, and friends took turns.
The last ceremony was my personal favorite. Not only were both bride and groom in gold from head to toe (insert bruno mars 24 karat gold song!) but the symbolism behind the knot tying ceremony was beautiful! You’ve heard the phrase “tying the knot” well, unlike what the name implies, it’s the guests who tied actual knots. In this ceremony, the bride and groom kneel side by side with a sword in between their hands. The guests are then invited to come forward, in pairs (this was VERY important), the women sit next to the bride and the men sit next to the groom. The guests then take a red string and tie a knot around each of their wrists as they give them their best wishes and blessings. Jerico and I actually got to partake in this ceremony. It was something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do. I tied a knot on Diana’s left wrist and then a knot on Wendel’s right wrist as we congratulated them on being “half” married (since they were having 2 weddings). Traditionally, they are required to wear their red strings for three days afterwards to preserve the good luck.
The wedding was concluded by multiple LOUD beats of a gong (every ceremony started and ended with the gong and they scared me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!) as the guests threw palm seeds at the couple as a sign of congratulations.
And that concludes your cultural education for the day. =) Enjoy all the beautiful and colorful pictures!
Thank you Diana and Wendel for educating us and exposing us to your beautiful culture! It was an honor and we are so glad we were there to capture all of the traditions for you to look back on for years to come! One day, you’ll bust out your Cambodian wedding album to show your kids just like your mom showed you! xoxo Kristina + Jerico
