From food and drink to dance and fun, one place that is no stranger to welcoming visitors from abroad to share in its merry mix of multi-ethnic riches
and general bonhomie is the Southeast Asian land of Laos, a relatively small
nation that sits in a large and linguistically diverse neighborhood.
While many may be be more familiar with cultural traditions of Laoslarger and better known neighbors, those fortunate enough to experience genuine Lao
hospitality are most unlikely to come away feeling shortchanged.
Flanked for the most part by the meandering Mekong and a rugged Annamite range, lies this relatively diminutive yet welcoming country that is
increasingly stepping into the limelight.
Despite a population numbering just six and a half million, the landlocked yet increasingly regionally land-linked nation boasts a rich linguistic and
cultural diversity from top to bottom.
Here in Laos, as with elsewhere in the region, both friendships and familial connections through marriage provide the stability and social capital for
personal and collective progress alike; a gift from generation to generation.
These cultural and socioeconomic facets are on show than when it comes to the celebration of nuptials, which appear to reach their peak in numbers in the
cooler months of December and January when the sultry tropical heat gives way to
milder temperatures of its winter that many from higher latitudes could be
mistaken for spring, or, even summer.
In Laos, one can see the key role of marriage in bringing together not just the couple but also their families, friends and close connections, all together
in a veritablecommunity of common destiny.
Indeed, this spirit is evidenced in the fact that so many a Lao family has welcomed a bride or groom into the fold from another ethnic group or foreign
land, graciously sharing their rich traditions and culture while welcoming the
addition of differing traditions with roots possibly both close and far from its
own borders.
A charming mix of strong devotion to time-honored traditions in conjunction with a casual easy come-easy-go attitude, a Lao wedding is also about the
business of serious fun.
Weddings are also great chances to get to know your neighbors and friends of friends, providing valuable mortar that strengthens the bonds between society's
building blocks and aids the development of deeper and stronger social
connections.
Foreigners are sometimes surprised to get last minute wedding invites in Laos from friends or the family of the betrothed, but such attendance is always
welcomed as merit and fortune.
Laos' traditional wedding attire showcases the countrys long and rich tradition of high quality silk, with lady folk, including the bride, seen
dressed in bright colors, which is a joy to behold.
The groom and his party may also be dressed in a combination of fine silk shirts and pantaloons, which while fine and impressive, have a more tailored fit
than they may first appear.
A traditional wedding day in Laos is both a morning and evening affair, with a siesta-style break possible in the middle to regroup or allow guests to
undertake any necessary tasks.
The wedding day morning kicks off with the groom, his family and friends promenading to the bride's house to the sound of music playing and the enjoyment
of small but potent shots of local Lao or imported whiskeys.
Upon arrival, they stage a make believe battle to enter, with the bride's own ladies in waiting and assembled aunties alike putting up a feisty in slightly
fictitious effort to repel the advances of the grooms party.
Once inside the brides home the centerpiece of the mornings festivities is the "baci," a tradition with roots in animist practices and strongly influenced
by the Buddhist beliefs that have long prevailed among the countrys majority.
Held also for welcomes, farewells and other milestones, the "baci" sees the chanting of holy words by an elder before the placing of tied strings around the
couples wrists symbolizing the best wishes and ties that bind, along with wishes
for good health and prosperity.
The enjoyment of food and drink follows, with the flow of people and conversation proceeding in a way that might appear organic and unstructured to
the unschooled outsider.
Such enjoyment takes its happy toll, and after a few hours the guests take temporary leave to rest, digest, or do necessary duties at home, in the office,
shopfront or field.
Meanwhile, the hosts refresh themselves while preparing for the evening's festivities.
Nighttime may well see the bride and ladies in new evening finery, highlighting again the Lao silk tradition. These days, men may well be dressed
in a smart evening suits with matching ties.
Some couples also opt for a further costume change in homage to the iconic white dress, the popularity of which is no longer limited to the West.
The couple welcome their guests warmly, exchanging greetings and posing for photos before a door attendant plies guests with further whiskey for shared
fortune.
Visitants then proceed through an honor guard of parents and close relatives of the couple, bowing and raising their hands together in the "nop", a
traditional prayer-like greeting in the region.
Once inside, typical entertainment may come in the form of a Lao band, playing the "mor lam" style so popular in the country and the Isaan region of
neighboring Thailand.
The bride and groom rejoin the festivities to warm welcome and wishes of abundant good luck.
Friends old and new alike then sit down to the serious business of partaking of festive food and supping on drinks along with imparting stories of past an
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