Love bonding in Laos : Dona and David’s wedding
Wedding venue : Settha Palace hotel
Dona was born in Laos and grow up in France where her soulmate, David was born. They both got talent in music marketing at MTV asia.When they decided to get marry, they choose Vientiane, Laos as their destination wedding. The Settha Palace hotel was their choice for their ceremony and reception.
Settha Palace Hotel, is a historical, luxury boutique hotel located in Vientiane, central Laos. It is housed in a renovated French colonial building built in 1932 and attracts ambassadors and distinguished visitors from surrounding Southeast Asian countries. The hotel was reopened after substantial renovation in 1999.
Their wedding was held on December 31st, the guests could celebrate New Year with the couple and countdown to 2016 together. The wedding ceremony was started from the Laos Baci for David, the groom at home first and followed by the Baci for the bride and groom at Settha Palace hotel. Their first dance was totally different from the other couple. It was Paslop dance, the unique traditional dance in Laos. We had a wonderful time there and new experience that will engraved on our heart forever.
The Laos Baci
The Baci is a traditional ceremony used to celebrate important events and occasions in an individual’s life such as marriage, birth, recovery from sickness, homecoming and also to welcome visitors and important guests, etc.
The ceremony is also known as ‘su kwan’. The word ‘kwan’ means soul. It is an ancient belief in Laos that the human body is made of 32 organs and the ‘kwan’ or soul watch over and protect each of them. Occasionally they would leave the body following an accident or an illness for example. The ceremony of ‘su kwan’ is a calling of the souls from wherever they may be roaming back to the body in order to restore the harmony to the individual.
The paw kwan’ a large conic flower arrangement (two for a marriage) is prepared on a silver tray traditionally made of banana leaves decorated with flowers and cotton threads displayed on bamboo stalk as flags. Around the base of this are offerings for the kwan consisting of water, alcohol, rice, hard boiled eggs and sweets. The paw kwan is always placed in a central position for people to gather around.
The elders choose an auspicious day and the ceremony is conducted by a senior member of the community who at the end of the prayers gives his blessings and well wishes to the individual by tying the cotton threads around their wrists. This process is then followed by other participants who in turn add their own wishes.
To make the wishes come true, the thread should be worn for a minimum of 3 days or to allow it to fall off on its own.
Paslop Dance
Dancing among people of Laos who is widely popular in Laos and northeast of the House we are in now. Dance or Paslop Everyone stood row area is in front of the Board, or there are more than one row or column. What is the obvious observation? However, with just the right-to-left move together with the rhythmic foot kick, according to song.
