are getting married!
29th & 30th December
2018
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Our Wedding
Like us, our wedding is going to be a Khmer-British fusion! We've chosen our favourite ceremonies and traditions from both cultures, and hope it'll be a relaxed, fun celebration...
FRIDAY 28th DECEMBER
Arranging traditional Khmer
clothes for guests
SUNDAY 30th DECEMBER
British Wedding Ceremony
3.30pm - late!
SATURDAY 29th DECEMBER
Khmer Wedding Ceremonies
7.00am - Midday
The Details
Getting There
TRANSPORTATION
For making your way around Siem Reap and getting to and from our wedding venue, we'd recommend using tuktuks! These are everywhere and will be easy to arrange once you arrive. Even easier, you could download passapp or grab - essentially uber for tuktuks! We'll also arrange tuktuks to wait at the venue on the evening of the 30th.
ACCOMMODATION
The venue is a little out-of-town, so we wouldn't recommend staying nearby if you're planning an extended visit to Siem Reap. Having said that, Siem Reap is a small city with lots of different accommodation options, and most things are a short tuktuk ride away. Please let us know if you'd like some help selecting somewhere!
Khmer Wedding Ceremonies
Khmer weddings traditionally involve many ceremonies, and can take anywhere from 1 day - 1 week! They can also be very large, with guest numbers reaching upwards of 1,000! We are keeping our wedding much smaller, and have only chosen the ceremonies which are the most meaningful to us...
THE FRUIT MARCH ពិធីហែរជំនូន
The groom, along with his family and all of the wedding guests, walk to the bride's "home" carrying 100 different kinds of fruits. These fruits will be tasted (and hopefully approved of!) by the bride's family, before further ceremonies can take place.
BUDDHIST BLESSING ពិធីសូត្រមន្តប្រោះព្រហ្ម
The couple are blessed by Buddhist monks, to wish them happiness in their life together. During this ceremony guests are invited to join in receiving a traditional Buddhist blessing.
THE PAIRING CEREMONY ពិធីក្រាបសំពះផ្ទឹម
In a Khmer wedding, this is the ceremony in which the couple are officially 'paired', or married. Friends and family can tie red strings around the couple's wrist for luck, and offer gifts if they wish.
What to Wear
KHMER WEDDING CEREMONIES
In Cambodia, traditional Khmer dress is usually worn by guests attending a wedding. We would love everyone to join in with this tradition if they feel comfortable to!
It is very normal (and inexpensive) to hire clothes to wear to a Khmer wedding, and we will ensure that on the 28th all guests wishing to hire wedding clothes can do so. To be sure clothes are available, we may request your measurements in advance!
Ladies - wedding clothes generally consist of a silk wrap-around sarong skirt ("samput"), and a fitted shirt of a similar or complimentary colour ("aaw pahk"). We would recommend bringing your own blouse or top.and hiring the "samput".
Gents - we recommend wearing suit trousers. These can be worn with a Khmer formal jacket ("aaw prohpeinee") or a regular shirt and traditional scarf ("kroma"), as Yut is wearing on the left. We'll provide kromas.
BRITISH WEDDING CEREMONY
This will be a smart-casual day, so along the lines of what you'd probably wear to a summer wedding in the UK. Gents - suit jackets are welcome but definitely optional, as Cambodia is pretty warm!
Khmer friends - please feel free to wear traditional Cambodian dress.
Cambodia Travel Tips
For a comprehensive run-down of "Know Before You Go" info for travelling in Cambodia, please take a look at Ayana Journeys' pre departure pack. We have also included a few key pieces of info below for those who haven't been to Cambodia before...
VISAS
One-month tourist visas are available on arrival at Siem Reap or Phnom Penh airport. They cost $30 USD, and you will need to provide a passport photo (bring multiples). Alternatively, you can also apply for e-visas online, which will save a little time when you arrive.
MONEY
Cambodia operates a dual-currency system, using both US Dollars and Khmer Riel interchangeably. Please bring US Dollars with you - Riel aren't available outside of Cambodia. Travellers cheques cannot be cashed here, but there are lots of ATMs!
HYDRATION
Cambodia is hot and humid, and it's very easy to become dehydrated quickly. Symptoms include headache, profuse sweating, nausea, dizziness, thirst, etc. Please drinks lots of water make sure to stay hydrated!
PHONES
Wifi is widely available so staying connected is pretty easy! That being said, having a local sim card might make life easier for using services like passapp / grab. Cambodian sim cards are cheap, but you'll need to make sure your phone is unlocked to use them.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
This is very close to our hearts! Some key tips can be found in this short video - we'd be really grateful if you could take a moment to watch it. Please bring clothes that cover knees / shoulders for visiting temples and other sacred sites around the city.
VACCINATIONS
You may want to get some vaccinations before travelling to Cambodia. Please talk to your GP to find out which ones you'll need. Siem Reap is considered 'malaria-free', but you may still want to take malaria tablets - up to you!
Siem Reap
Info about our favourite things to do (and eat!) in Siem Reap
coming soon!