|
|
Tying the knot Northern-style wedding ceremonies organised by the Lanna Folk Museum, one of Chiang Mai's oldest teak houses, are gaining popularity among foreign love couples travelling there to tie the knot. They are in a foreign land and part of the delight of travelling here is learning and embracing the culture of the place for this once in a lifetime occasion, says Jumpol Chutima of the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre, of which the museum is a part. The museum is a reconstruction of a landmark teak house that stood to the east of Nakhon Ping Bridge in the downtown area 110 years ago. Called Saw Hong House, it was built from golden teak and is a shining example of classical Lanna architecture. Later the house was dismantled for relocation to the cultural centre where it was rebuilt and turned into a museum "because we want to preserve traditional Lanna style houses," said Jumpol, adding that the venue was now popular with couples from Japan and Europe calling in to tie the knot. The museum is open to the general public; there is no entrance fees. Artifacts on show date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. There is a room full of antique pottery from San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, and Wiang Papao and Pan in Chiang Rai, and lacquerware items produced by Thai-Kern craftsmen from Wualai and Nunthararm villages. Jumpol, who plays wedding coordinator, said his objective was to keep alive Lanna-style weddings to truly capture the essence of the region's 700-year-old history. The centre went into the business of organising marriages about a decade ago, but it's only lately that it began to click. It has a competent staff that attend to every detail from the wedding dress to the actual ceremony and reception so couples can rest at case and just prepare for the big day. The going rate is US$1,250 (45,000 baht) per wedding for a guest list not exceeding 30 people and includes make-up, hair-do, transportation, temple rites, alms for monks, Khantoke dinner and northern classical dances, together with a record of the proceedings on video and VCD, and a photo album. Jumpol said most couples find the wedding procession in which the bride waits for the groom to ask for her hand very touching. "Every stage of the ceremony is very unique. Couples are keen to know about the significance of each stage. Staging the wedding in a museum adds colour to the proceedings." |