Thai Wedding, Long Beach, CA, 1991

In the bride's family home, Patcharin and Joseph kneel before Buddhist monks. Linked by a spiritual string, monks have come from a local temple to bless them. After being fed before noon, the monks leave and the wedding will take place.

Katrina Thomas's notes: Most Thais emigrated to the U.S. between 1971 and 1990, largely to the West Coast. A Buddhist temple, known as a wat, serves as their civic center and couples may seek a blessing for marriage from resident monks. The couple makes no vows. On the morning of the wedding, they invite monks from a nearby temple to bless them. After the monks are fed and leave, the families unite the two by having the bridegroom give her jewelry and put a ring on her finger. Prior to congratulating the newlyweds, the bride's grandmother places two linked crowns of white threads on their heads, which emphasize their individual identities while joining their destinies. Well-wishers pour sacred water over their clasped hands. However, the couple is married only in the eyes of family and friends, not by law, until they make their vows before an officiant licensed by the state.