Lanna-style wedding on elephant back

Photo: TAT

14 February 2010 At the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Hang Chat district, Lampang Province

In Thailand's northern region — ‘Lanna’ which means ‘a million rice fields’, the celebration of a couple's public commitment to one another offers an open window onto Lanna's unique culture.

In traditional Lanna weddings, Thais normally divide the proceedings into two main functions. First comes the suu khaw, a ceremonial visit to the bride's parents to ask for their daughter's hand. Whether at the parents' home or in another appointed place, the ritual involves the presentation of engraved silver bowls containing fresh flowers meant to honor the family's ancestors, a symbolic sum of money representing a dowry and a general wish for prosperity in the form of fresh betel nuts, three dozen leaves from auspicious plants, plus bags of sesame seeds, rice and beans.

The second stage of the Lanna wedding observance involves a procession to a place selected for the marriage ceremony itself. Here a maw phawn, local elder versed in the ways of the all-important Thai spirit world, will symbolically link the couple together by tying a length of sacred white cotton string between the left wrist of the groom and right wrist of the bride. A more literal tying of the knot — in Northern Thai the ritual is known as mat meu or 'wrist-binding' — could hardly be envisaged.

In Lampang, a Northern Thai city renowned during Thailand's teak empire years for its plentiful work elephants, wealthy families amplified on the mat meu procession. Instead of approaching the venue for the wedding ceremony on foot, the bride and groom mounted a lavishly decorated tusker, Thailand's most auspicious animal. Slowly ambling down Lampang's historic streets, these elephant-back wedding processions must have been a delight to all who were fortunate enough to grab a roadside view.

The Thai Elephant Conservation Center, along with the city of Lampang, has revived the phi-thi taeng-ngan bon lang chang, or wedding ceremony on elephant-back. To date, over 50 couples have participated in this magnificent Lanna-style elephant-back wedding ceremony.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chiang Mai office would like to encourage couples who are either planning their wedding as or planning to re-new their wedding vows to consider taking part in this memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Lanna-style wedding on elephant back package is being offered at a price of 40,000 baht per couple, while the St Valentine’s Day package for couples wishing to re-new their wedding vows is 4,000 baht per couple.
The 40,000 baht wedding package (per couple) includes:
    Lanna costumes and makeup for the wedding retinue
    Accommodation at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center on the night of 14 February
    The Lanna-style wedding on elephant back (phi-thi taeng-ngan bon lang chang)
    Wedding reception
   








A portion of the wedding fees will go towards the conservation centre’s operating expenses.

The 4,000 baht St Valentine’s Day package (per couple) includes:
    Lanna costumes and makeup for the wedding retinue
    Participation in the Lanna-style wedding on elephant back

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME FOR 14 FEBRUARY
MORNING:
   
    Welcome ceremony for the participating couples
    Participants then join a procession of Lampang’s famous traditional horse-drawn carriages

AFTERNOON AND EVENING (from 14.00 – 21.00 hrs)
All participating couples will don full Lanna costume and hoist themselves onto elephants for a stately procession to the wedding venue at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Hang Chat district.
Programme for wedding couples:
    Traditional Suu Khaw ceremony in which the groom approaches the bride's parents to ask for their daughter's hand.
    Traditional Lanna-style Bai sri ceremony blessing ceremony. The bride and groom receive blessings blessing bestowed by the elders.
    A traditional blessing dance
    Exchange of wedding vows on elephant back
    A Thai district officer will register the nuptials and issue wedding certificates to each couple

The afternoon programme ends with all participating couples feeding the elephants.

EVENING:
Wedding reception and traditional Lanna-style satoke/khantoke set dinner in which a selection of various traditional Northern Thai dishes are served on a tray.

Please contact the Thai Elephant Conservation Center for further details and reservations.

Contact information:
Thai Elephant Conservation Center
Km. 28 – 28 Lampang – Chiang Mai Road,
Tambon Wiangtaan (Wiangtaan sub-district),
Amphoe Hang Chat (Hang Chat district), Lampang province
Tel/Fax: 054-247875
E-mail: info@thailandelephant.org
Web site: http://www.thailandelephant.org/eng/home.php3

Source: TAT