Wedding traditions of Southeast Asia
Tea ceremonies and sinsod, adat and bersanding, the Batak ulos and the Balinese tooth-filing. 36 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇧🇳 Brunei 6🇰🇭 Cambodia 4🇮🇩 Indonesia 27🇱🇦 Laos 3🇲🇾 Malaysia 10🇲🇲 Myanmar 4🇵🇭 Philippines 10🇸🇬 Singapore 7🇹🇭 Thailand 9🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 1🇻🇳 Vietnam 9
Cities and towns
On the calendar
🇮🇩 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
🇮🇩 Jakarta, IndonesiaPalang pintu
The martial arts and poetry test that allows the groom to enter the bride's home in Betawi weddings.Rite · The weeks before
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreBaju Kurungباجو كوروڠ
The traditional blouse and skirt worn by Malay women for weddings and religious ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreBride price
Wealth paid by the groom or his family to the bride or her kin to formalize a union.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇻🇳 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
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match
🇮🇩 Lombok, IndonesiaMerariq
A Sasak ritual in Lombok where the groom takes the bride to his home with family consent.Rite · The weeks before
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreElopement
A secret marriage conducted without parental approval or public notice to bypass objections or legal barriers.Modern · The weeks before
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan
A communal Javanese feast that brings neighbors together for peace and social unity.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇵🇭 Cebu, PhilippinesCourtship in the Philippines
A traditional Filipino courtship marked by serenade, service, and family involvement.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 morePantunڤنتون
A Malayic oral poetry form used in wedding greetings and daily communication to express ideas through rhyme.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇻🇳 Hội An, VietnamBài Chòi
A sung card game played in huts during Vietnamese New Year festivalsPerformance · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pantun: Nurmalinda Maharfar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Courtship in the Philippines: Markytour777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Palang pintu: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bride price: Пимоненко Николай Корнилиевич, Public domain, source
- Bài Chòi: Lưu Ly ( thảo luận ), CC BY 3.0, source
- Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Baju Kurung: Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source