In the Buddhist faith, marriage is considered a secular matter.  One chooses to be married because of a commitment to their partner and family life, while some chose to stay unwed.

The Buddhist faith follows Dharma, the teachings of Buddha.  Buddhists believe in an open religion and that no matter what age, gender, culture or background, all people are equal.

There are various sects of Buddhism all over the world, all with different customs and traditions, but the faith keeps one common thread and that being, live a harmonious life together.

In some sects in Asia, weddings are arranged with a wedding broker finding a match between the couple.  Once a match is found, which pleases the two families, the couple meet and finally after a while, the will give their consent on marriage.  After the consent is given, they meet with an astrologer and a suitable day and time is charted.

The Day of the Wedding

The couple will arrive at the temple separately and may ask for the blessings of Buddha.  The only music allowed is the monks chanting.  The couple is taken to the shrine room.  If the wedding is taking place outside the temple, a shrine to Buddha will be constructed with flowers, candles, incense and a statue of Buddha.

In some cases the ceremony may be a service of gratitude and having readings from the Lotus Sutra (lotus of the true law of Buddhist scriptures) or the ceremony may recite Vandana, Tisarana and Pancasila readings.  The couple light candles and incense around the statue of the Buddha and offer flowers.

Sometimes the couple is offered Saki, taking three sips each.  This is repeated twice with the cup getting larger, this signifies the maturing unity of the couple.  The bride and groom recite traditional sayings from Sigilovdda Sutta.  The groom vows to love, respect, be kind and considerate, faithful, and delegate household management and bring gifts to please his wife.

The bride vows to perform her household duties effectively, be kind to her husband’s family and friends, be faithful, protect and invest the earnings and discharge her responsibilities lovingly.  After the vows are spoken, the bride and groom exchange rings while the monks finish chanting.  This may also be followed with some meditation.

After the Wedding

The couple will hold a huge feast with their guests.  In some cultures an older couple will make up the marriage bed for the newlyweds, with tucking in lucky talismans such as money and bags of rice, which symbolizes fertility and spread flower petals on top of the bed.