A Khmer Wedding

Last night I attended my first Khmer wedding. Khmer weddings are an all day affair, with all the many ceremonies in the morning and a party at night. I only attended the night part, but it was a blast.

First, I must write about my outfit. Since this might be my only Khmer wedding, I decided to go all out and have something traditional made. My sisters helped me buy fabric and find a tailor. Today, girls my age would usually wear a prom type dress to the night part of a wedding. I decided to go a little more traditional, thinking that it would be more fun to have traditional clothes when I go home. Traditional clothes means a long, straight skirt and a sparkly, tight fitting top. I know, its not what you would expect. One of my sisters also took me to get my hair and makeup done- including fake eyelashes (there's a first I wasn't expecting to have this year!). Below is the result:

I have to admit that the sparklyness appeals to everything in me that loves tackiness. There simply aren't enough opportunities in America to glitter. It makes you feel like a princess! My family took about a million pictures of me. It felt like I was going to prom or something.

The wedding itself was also great. I learned how to do some traditional dancing. I also got told a million times how Khmer I looked- I take that as a real compliment! Everyone of my Khmer coworkers, not to mention strangers at the wedding, simply loved that I had made the effort to go Khmer. I even was given a rose by a complete stranger and told he wished me a happy and beautiful life. I'd say it was a full evening. It definitely qualified as one of those nights where every part of me loves everything about Cambodia.

So the verdict is Khmer weddings are awesome. Everyone is there to make it a night to remember. Khmer people know how to celebrate! I hope I get invited to a few more.