Pair will have traditional wedding at Thai Festival (From Thisisdorset)

Pair will have traditional wedding at Thai Festival

10:00am Saturday 15th September 2012 in Latest By Joanna Codd

A COUPLE from Bournemouth will be going through a colourful Thai wedding ceremony in front of members of the public in Poole today.

Marc Dulson and Nongkran Inpan married British-style in June, but will be retying the knot according to the traditions of the bride’s home country as part of the town’s first-ever Thai Festival.

The ceremony will be preceded by a parade of more than 30 people in costume from Baiter Park to Poole Quay and back. The procession, accompanied by music, will represent the usual engagement ritual of the groom taking the dowry to the bride’s family.

Poole Mayor Cllr Carol Evans will then stand in for the bride’s parents as the happy couple are given a Buddhist blessing on the stage.

The wedding ceremony will be one of the highlights of a packed programme taking place at Baiter Park between 10.30am and 7pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Attractions will include Thai boxing, food stalls, dancing, ladyboy shows, children’s fashion shows, massage and a Thai salad-making competition.

On Sunday, 25 beauties will be competing for the title of Miss Thailand of Great Britain in a bid to win premier class return air travel to Thailand.

The contestants are scheduled to parade in cocktail dresses at 1pm and in traditional costume between 4pm and 4.50pm before the winner is crowned.

One of the organisers, Jackie Winitkun, said: “We are aiming for a family day out, bringing Thailand to Poole. ”

Money raised by the event will go towards buying educational equipment for underprivileged children in Thailand and remaining funds will go to the Thai temple in Wimbledon, south-west London.