After spending a year at the same site, I became close friends with one of the teachers at my school, Sreyneath. She previously taught fifth grade and now teaches third grade. She is outgoing, charismatic and genuinely fun to work with. During that time, she got engaged, and when I learned she was getting married, I was beyond excited for her.
During school break, I led an English club, which is where I met her fiancé, Samnang. He teaches at a local private school and is an intelligent, kind gentleman. I really enjoyed getting to know both of them individually and seeing how well they fit together. When the English club ended, they asked if I wanted to be a bridesmaid in their wedding. I was overjoyed to be part of their special day!
Before I knew it, the wedding day arrived. In Khmer culture, weddings are split into two parts: the morning ceremonies and the afternoon celebration. The morning includes monk blessings, the groom’s procession, the tea ceremony, the symbolic hair-cutting ceremony and the pairing ceremony. Each part is meaningful and deeply rooted in tradition. The afternoon includes the legal ceremony where they exchange vows and rings, followed by the reception with dinner and dancing.
I had been to Khmer weddings before, but this was my first time as part of the wedding party.
