Hai Goan Gomloh | Groom’s procession

Everyone is invited to join the groom’s family procession to the bride’s house (in our case, the Sofitel ballroom). Guests carry platters of fruit to present as gifts to the bride’s family. If her family approves of the offering, the bride and groom exchange rings and the wedding is on. Traditionally, the groom would shimmy up a tall palm tree to pick a flower for the procession, demonstrating his commitment to his bride-to-be and his ability to provide for their family. We’ve opted for a more symbolic route.

Soat Mun | Monk’s blessing

Monks are central to Khmer Buddhist spiritual life and play a key role in major cultural events and celebrations. Three monks will oversee the wedding. During the ceremony, they bless the couple by chanting in Khmer Pali and sprinkling them with water infused with jasmine and lotus.

Gaat Sah | Hair cutting ceremony

Family members take turns giving the bride and groom haircuts. As they prepare the couple for a new beginning, they wish them good health and prosperity, and make sure they look sharp on their big day. Throughout the morning, a band plays wedding music on traditional Khmer instruments such as the khloy (flute), roneat (xylophone), skor (drums), khum (zither), and tro (fiddle). Khmer wedding music is traditionally played very loud, declaring to the entire village that the couple is now married.

Chorng Dai | Knot tying ceremony

The bride and groom sit side by side, holding a ceremonial sword on upturned palms. Family members tie the bride and groom’s wrists together with red strings as they offer well wishes for health and happiness. The strings binding the couple together represent their lifelong bond and love for one another. Guests pass around candles three times, the same candles used for the bride’s parent’s wedding in 1990, gifted by the late King Sihanouk’s priest. Guests then shower the newlyweds with palm flowers (freshly picked by the agile groom).

This completes the Khmer ceremony. We will then have a few elements from a Jewish wedding which the groom’s father will lead.

The bride leads the groom out of the room, symbolising her position as decision-maker and head of the family. The groom holds the back of her shawl, reenacting the fabled wedding of Prince Preah Tong and Princess Neang Neak two thousand years ago.