Wedding traditions of Southeast Asia
Tea ceremonies and sinsod, adat and bersanding, the Batak ulos and the Balinese tooth-filing. 40 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇧🇳 Brunei 6🇰🇭 Cambodia 5🇮🇩 Indonesia 28🇱🇦 Laos 3🇲🇾 Malaysia 10🇲🇲 Myanmar 4🇵🇭 Philippines 14🇸🇬 Singapore 7🇹🇭 Thailand 11🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 1🇻🇳 Vietnam 11
Cities and towns
On the calendar
🇰🇭 Cambodia and 4 moreRomvongរាំវង់ (Khmer)
A circular folk dance across Southeast Asia where couples hold hands and step in time with drums.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri
A communal feast and prayer gathering held by Javanese and Malay communities to mark life events.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇲🇲 MyanmarMarriage in Myanmar
A blend of Buddhist rites, astrological timing, and family negotiations that defines union across Myanmar's diverse ethnRite · Finding a match
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match
🇹🇭 ThailandKhanom Si Thuaiขนมสี่ถ้วย
A Thai wedding dessert of four sweet cups symbolizing harmony and lasting love.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam
The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match
🇻🇳 VietnamPhu Thê CakeBánh phu thê
A Vietnamese mung bean cake exchanged by the couple to wish for a happy marriageFeast custom · The ceremony
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan
A communal Javanese feast that brings neighbors together for peace and social unity.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇰🇭 Cambodia and 3 moreTugging rituals and games
A rope-pulling game played across Southeast and East Asia to mark the farming season and build community bonds.Play · The weeks before
🇵🇭 Hungduan, PhilippinesPunnuk
A post-harvest tug of war held in the Hapao River to ensure a plentiful rice harvest.Play · After the wedding
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Marriage in Myanmar: Thant Zin Myint, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tugging rituals and games: Steve46814 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Khanom Si Thuai: Siripitch Chaiyabutra, CC0, source
- Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Punnuk: Bernardguerrero, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Romvong: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
- Phu Thê Cake: JeanFousrou52, CC BY-SA 4.0, source