How to Infuse Tradition Into Your Laotian Wedding

If you have Laotian family heritage or you're getting married abroad in Laos, incorporating wedding traditions from different cultures can bring a meaningful and vibrant touch to your wedding. A traditional Laotian wedding is often a joyful morning ceremony held at the bride's family's home. Today, the wedding may or may not be celebrated first thing in the morning, but it will incorporate many of the same traditions that have been beloved for centuries, including the Baci ceremony.

This mountainous country in Southeast Asia is predominantly Buddhist, and ancient traditions factor into the rituals that are held throughout the wedding weekend. From the formal procession to symbolic offerings, the wedding day (or days!) is filled with traditions that bring family and friends together.

Whether you're tying the knot in Laos or you want to infuse meaningful moments into your traditional Laotian wedding abroad, here's what you need to know about planning a Laotian wedding. And, if you want to find talented multicultural wedding vendors to bring your vision to life, find them on The Knot Vendor Marketplace.

Laotian Wedding Traditions in This Story: History | Prewedding | Attire | Ceremony | Reception | Food & Desserts

FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT

A Brief History of Laotian Wedding Traditions

Weddings in Laos have traditionally involved the entire family and village coming together to wish happiness, prosperity and health upon the new couple. Celebrations can begin before the date has even been set, with the Sou Khor procession marking the "negotiations" that once accompanied marriages. Historically, engagements weren't common, so this procession would happen, and a wedding would soon follow. Today, it's more common for a weekend-long wedding celebration to kick off with the Oun Dong ceremony the night before the couple ties the knot.

Prewedding Laotian Tradition

Wedding proposal customs in Laos depend on whether the couple decides to have an engagement. Some couples skip the engagement altogether, but the celebrations start that weekend.

Choosing the Wedding Date

Choosing the right wedding date is a top priority in Laos. It's not as simple as finding the first day that works for the couple. Instead, the couple will consult the lunar calendar to find a date that is both right with the moon and their schedule.

Sou Khor Procession

Today, it's more common to see the Sou Khor procession held to honor the tradition of the groom negotiating with the bride's parents to pay them back for all of their love and devotion to their daughter through the years. This may be a lively procession held the day before the wedding.

Oun Dong

"While not exactly akin to Western-style rehearsal dinners, Laotian weddings may include a shared meal or gathering, often with traditional Lao food, music and dancing," says destination wedding photographer Aidan Dockery. This is often held at the bride's home, and traditionally, it only involves close friends and family who are there to help with any last-minute wedding prep.

Pha Khuan

At the Oun Dong, relatives will help prepare the Pha Khuan, which is a colorful and impressive pyramid constructed of marigolds, banana leaves and flowers. This is surrounded by food, including fruit and sticky rice, on the wedding day.

Hae Keuy

On the day of the wedding, there is often a Hae Keuy, or a groom's parade, where the groom, his family and friends parade to the bride's house, singing and dancing along the day. The groom strolls under an umbrella carried by a friend. Once he reaches her house, he and his party will answer questions at the door, bargaining their way into the home. Before entering, he'll have his feet washed by a younger friend or relative of the bride.

Traditional Laotian Wedding Attire

Similar to those in many countries with centuries-old wedding customs, today's Laotian weddings may incorporate both traditional Lao wedding clothes and modern attire. There may be different outfits worn throughout the weekend to touch on both the old and new.

Laotian Wedding Attire for the Bride and Groom

The traditional wedding colors in Laos are red and gold, and this is worn by both the bride and the groom. The bride will wear a Lao silk sinh, which is a traditional skirt, a silk blouse and gold jewelry and accessories. The groom will wear a silk salong, which is a traditional pair of pants.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Even if the wedding guests do not dress in traditional attire, the wedding party may don outfits for certain events. "The wedding party in Laotian weddings often dresses in traditional Lao silk sinh and salong for women and men, paired with silk sashes," Dockery says.

Laotian Wedding Ceremony Traditions

A Laotian wedding ceremony is often filled with Laotian wedding customs that have been passed down through the generations. Modern couples may pick and choose which rituals they choose to incorporate and which ones fit their vision of their dream day.

Baci Ceremony

The Baci ceremony is one of the most critical parts of a Laotian wedding. It's a ritual that connects the souls of the two couples through wedding blessings. "This ceremony is often intimate, with family and close friends. It includes tying white cotton strings around the wrists of the couple as part of the blessings offered," Dockery says.

The Baci ceremony also includes chanting by the master of ceremonies and the egg ritual, which includes the couple feeding a single egg to each other to symbolize a new life together. Often, the Baci ceremony occurs before the larger wedding.

Traditional Music

"Traditional Laotian music, often played by a live mor lam band, sets the tone for ceremonies. During the Baci, chants led by an elder or monk are accompanied by soft background music," Dockery says.

Khan Maak

The Khan Maak is a traditional wedding ceremony entrance that often follows the Baci ceremony. Dockery explains, "This is when the groom and his party bring symbolic offerings to the bride's family. This includes gifts like betel nuts, fruits and sweets, representing prosperity and goodwill."

Laotian Wedding Reception Traditions

"The reception usually follows in the evening, with plenty of food, traditional Lao music and dancing," Dockery says. There's all of the raucous merrymaking you'd expect at any wedding worldwide, but with a few traditional elements that honor generations past.

Traditional Dancing

The traditional Laotian dance is known as the lamvong. "This is where guests form a circle and dance gracefully to rhythmic music. Capturing these performances is a joy—it's all about movement, color and the joy of celebration," Dockery says.

Wedding Gifts

If guests bring gifts to the wedding, they'll often bring cash. These are often small gifts that are symbolic of wishing the couple well.

Traditional Laotian Wedding Food and Desserts

One of the most incredible parts of planning a wedding that honors a couple's heritage is exploring the different cultures' wedding food traditions. "Traditional Lao food is served banquet-style, usually including delicious larb (spicy minced meat salad), sticky rice and grilled fish," Dockery says. When it comes to drinks, whiskey or Laotian beer is often served.