I hope this cambodes well: remnants of hairspray

Two days later, I am still tired and my hair is still a bit stiff from serving as a bridesmaid in my first Khmer wedding. I wish I could provide a complete photo essay to help you understand the day, but I was too busy to be able to photograph it all and my outfits were too tight to lift my arms. If it weren't for the remnants of hairspray and the bit of eyeliner that never seems to come off, the day felt so surreal that I would almost say it didn't happen. I also have corroboration from my fellow PCV and friend Kirk who served as a groomsman. Luckily we did this together or I really would have stood out as the whiter, "fatter" (generally larger than Khmer women, but this is the word they use in Khmer), definitely taller person in the wedding party, but still complimented a lot on my "sa-at"ness ('beautiful' in Khmer).
This wedding took place on the auspicious day of 3.3.13 for my tutor's daughter in their hometown 30 km away from my site. I was asked to be a bridesmaid several months ago even though I would only meet the bride at 3 am on the big day. According to my tutor, foreigners are rarely in weddings in this area so it was quite the sight for the guests to see us dressed up like Khmer Barbie and Ken. I did feel like a doll all day as I was prodded, painted and pranced around, much similar to my days as an quasi-model in 9th grade. The bride, who is 27, was to be married to a Khmer man, who is 35, who has been living in America since 1982 after his family escaped Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. His family originally comes from the same hometown and they are some sort of 2nd cousin, which is ideal, so the family's desired to join through the nuptials of their children. I am unsure if the bride and groom had met before, but they seemed fairly comfortable around each other throughout the day. The bride was to return to America with her husband and his parents 2 days after the ceremony to the Boston area. She has never before left Cambodia and we spoke a bit of her nerves regarding this big move. She was worried about getting a job and asked me if the American culture is "easy", meaning will she be able to pick it up fairly quickly. I mostly told her she'd be really cold and that her new Khmer family would help her navigate this new world.
Many ceremonies took place throughout the day and this was day 2 of 3, but the longest of them all. It all took place at my tutor's house, some ceremonies inside and some outside under the wedding tent. We started the first ceremony, outfit one around 7 AM. There was an older man with faint tattoos, uncommon here, who acted as the "priest" and brought us through the steps of the ceremony. There were also a young man and woman who acted as the MCs in typical Khmer entertainment style and put on skits, sang and generally entertained the guests. Following this we had the first meal of the day, borbor, rice porridge with bean sprouts, seafood, meat and vegetables. The bridal party ate after the guests, which was the theme of the day. We would parade around or be on display while the guests partook or observed the ceremony. After this, most guests left until the afternoon while those closer to the family came upstairs for a ceremony I did not see as I was put into another outfit. This was the smallest of all and I was concerned I might pass out. With each outfit change, the whole bridal party matched in color, and the bride and groom changed outfits about 7 times while we changed only 4 times (I think...). The typical outfit for bridesmaids involved a corset-like top, some sleeveless, some long-sleeved, and a large fabric tied and pinned into MC Hammer like pants that they poof out in the hips. I also wore a few sampots (Khmer style skirts), which were a fancier version of what I wear to teach everyday.
After the second outfit change, we went back downstairs (all preparations happened upstairs in the house which meant I had to teeter down steep stairs in front of the audience in heels) for the "cutting of hair ceremony". This was the only one I somewhat understood what was happening. No one's hair should actually be cut, but the symbolism behind this ceremony is that the sin is being removed from the bride and groom (or so I was told). During this ceremony, Kirk and I were all of a sudden summoned by the MCs to speak in Khmer, do some Khmer dancing and sing a song. Kirk chose "American Pie" which we realized later blared all throughout town on the absurdly loud speakers present at every wedding. We are now famous, in his town. We finished around 12, were freed from these outfits and ate lunch with the family and close friends before naptime until 3 where I was instructed I cannot wash my face or hair (obviously would erase all the hard work of the beauticians). I was only able to squeeze in 30 min of rest, we grabbed some Khmer coffee (sludge with condensed milk for 38 cents) and headed back over. My hair was changed, a new face was painted on (which involved fake eyelashes both times but luckily I halted the razoring off of my eyebrows), and another outfit was revealed. The afternoon was a bit of a blur, we spend most of the time greeting the guests as they arrived. Hundreds more people arrived for the evening portion, totalling around 1000, which was shocking considering we were in a village in my province. We passed out kromah party favors and sompeah-ed (bowed with hands together) to greet everyone. The bride and groom ran out for a few costume changes during what seemed like hours. We watched everyone eat and begin to drink, this is the partying portion, unsure when we would have our turn. The band played and people began to dance. Finally, at what seemed like 10 PM, but was really 7, we were summoned inside to walk around a table of fruit with the bride and groom. Then we were released to enjoy the party, eat, drink and dance in a circle waving our hands around. We partied with dwindling guests, many a few youngins and the family, until 11 PM. I found an excellent dancing partner in an 8 year old girl who seemed to have endless energy until we both had to sit down and rest.
I am sure I missed many details due to the exhaustion and resulting blurred memory of the day, but it was an overall unforgettable experience that will stand out in the opportunities I'm afforded here. It was an honor to be part of this important event for the family. Kirk and I were told that our "work" as groomsman and bridesmaid represented Americans well by some of the other Americans who are friends of my tutor. I hope my presence made the bride and the family happy, and I wish the bride health and happiness in America. I also hope that I can visit her someday there. The main thing I learned from the day is that my wedding will be A LOT shorter.