khmer sources

Weddings in Cambodia, particularly those held in Phnom Penh, often run into the thousands of dollars, and for a country where most earn a dollar a day, these amounts may seem well and truly beyond a nation’s means. But during the "wedding season" from early October until May, Cambodian dress makers, event management companies, cake decorators and printers, all reap the benefit of thousands of couples tying the blessing strings.

So where do the costs lie? Well for a start, there are the invitations to print and the marriage license to pay for; there is a public address system to hire along with a master of ceremonies, a marquee and wedding decorations; there are the musicians; there is the dowry of cakes, meat and fruit (the more the better) and of course the caterers to cook the mountains of food to last the duration of the (most commonly, but some can last for an entire week) two-day and one-night ceremony. The bride will generally rent up to 12 changes of dress and the groom will also have a large number of suits to climb in and out of. For those families without the space to hold the wedding ceremony at home—or for those wishing to really impress—hiring a venue further increases the cost of a wedding.

One such venue is Phnom Penh’s Mondial Centre. The amount of money Cambodians were spending on weddings attracted businessman Kong Triv to invest in the Centre in 2002. A massive eight-hectare site off Mao Tse-Tung Boulevard, Kong says the Mondial Centre accommodates as many as 5,000 people at 500 tables, at any one time. There are also seven private reception rooms available.

"For a wedding party of less than 50 tables we charge a flat rate of $700 and for a party of more than 50 tables there is a further fee of $15 per additional table. There were about 100 wedding parties held at the Mondial Centre last year and I’m sure the numbers will increase this year in response to ever-growing numbers of young people getting married," Kong says.
Middle-class families will spend between $60 and $75 per table at a wedding reception, while those in the countryside may spend up to $40. In general, wedding guests will decide to offer an amount of money, rather than a gift, to help cover the cost of the celebration and to pay for their meal. A guest is expected to pay about $10 and this amount is considered immediately reciprocated if the guest invites their host to a subsequent wedding.

Arb Many is a head chef and has been cooking for five years. During that time Arb has catered for hundreds of weddings in Phnom Penh and in nearby provincial towns.
He says the price of each wedding depends on the quality of the food and not merely on the numbers. Usually a combination of Khmer and Chinese dishes are served, but Arb says increasing numbers of people are also choosing to incorporate more expensive Western dishes into their wedding banquets. These are buffet-type dishes which may include salads, cold meats and pasta.

"Traditional Khmer and Chinese dishes are cheaper, like duck, beef, sweet and sour soup and so forth. My team put the price at between $60 and $70 per table for eight items of this more traditional style. The price for including European food into the menu bumps the price up to between $80 and $100 per table," Arb says. Kao Lily, 25, is based in Phnom Penh where she owns a business renting out wedding dresses and offering make-up services. Kao says she has the latest wedding gowns available for hire.

"Those women wanting a modern look are opting for dresses with a more European feel, but most Cambodian women are still sticking to the traditional—they want to look like an apsara dancer. It’s all about looking regal. The price for a selection of 12 dresses ranges from $300 to $600 and the cost of the make-up depends on product availability," Kao says.
At Phnom Penh beauty salon Sapors, expect to spend $15 for full wedding make-up and hair-styling; for a house-call you’ll need to pay $25.

And what about the wedding cake? A common sight at Cambodian weddings nowadays is the white, Western tiered number. Baker and owner of the capital’s Apsara Cake Shop Tang Bunthorn says he has never been so busy.

"We get 10 requests for cakes a day! Our cakes are priced on weight, with 1kg set at $1.20. Most wedding ceremonies will require a cake weighing between 10kg and 20kg and my customers spend anything from $20 to $320," Tang says.
In the Cambodian countryside weddings are relative to earning power, and so in that respect, just as extravagant as urban events. But they are usually much longer affairs than their city counterparts.

Seng Lang is a farmer from Kong Pisei district in Kompong Speu province who earns about $1,500 a year. Seng recently paid for his daughter’s wedding and he recites the list without pause. "Besides spending the big money on the necessary food and drink, my family spent over $250 on gowns, make-up and hair-dos; the photographs cost $150; video recording of the wedding was $50; the musicians were over $300 and for the presentation of the dowry to the bride’s family we spent over $500. Then for all the other wedding components, like the P.A system, the marquee, the tables, the generator and the master of ceremonies, we spent about $200 altogether," Seng says, taking a breath.

The sentiment of the ‘Honoring of the Parents’ ceremony (Bang Chhat Madaiy) is fitting at these prices. According to the Khmer Institute, the traditional song performed during this particular ceremony is a "reminder to the bride of the hardships of raising a child", and furthermore, that one day "the bride and groom will one day experience [the hardships] themselves."
Rumleuk kun madaiy oeupuk—Remember your obligations to your parents. They paid.