The Phuket Baba Wedding, held last weekend in Phuket, has been dubbed a complete success by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Phuket Peranakan Association (PPA), and the Phuket City Municipality, co-organisers of the event.
The highlight of the wedding, which saw six couples from Thailand married in true Peranakan (Baba) style, was the street parade down Thalang Road. This ended at the Phuket Thai Hua museum on Krabi Road, and was followed by a dinner at the Blue Elephant restaurant.
The parade provided the perfect photo opportunity for many of the island’s residents and tourists alike, with happy snappers gathering around the procession to take pictures of the impressive sight.
The grooms started at Blue Elephant and then went to the Hongsyok mansion to meet their brides. They took part in traditional wedding activities such as making sacrifices to the gods, paying respect to their parents, and a flower ceremony.
The official music of the ceremony is called Tee Tor Tee Cheng, an old style of music which is accompanied by Chinese drums and flutes, plus brass instruments such as saxophones, drums and cymbals. The songs played are chosen for their meaning of love, hope, happiness and warmth.
The grooms are usually dressed in a white suit, but the colour does not matter. The bride’s attire is called Punjoo-Punjung. The bride wears two shirts, a lace one atop a colourful one.
The bride also wears a sarong, as well as accessories such as necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and anklets.
The festival in Phuket is held in the third week of June every year. The purpose is to preserve local Baba culture, promote tourism on the island, and provide an opportunity for couples to marry in style.
Absolute Thai 
Posted on June 27, 2013
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