Alan & Thuy — A Thai Monks Blessing at Wat Doi Thep Nimitr

Alan and Thuy came to us in mid-August 2022 wanting a traditional Thai monks blessing on Phuket. What began as an enquiry about the Big Buddha became a quiet morning ceremony at Wat Doi Thep Nimitr — a working temple Toom has volunteered at for years, and a place we know how to hold gently for a couple who have travelled to be blessed.

The first conversation, mid-August

Alan and Thuy first wrote in the second half of August 2022. Like many couples who find us, they had read about the Big Buddha and were drawn to the idea of a ceremony there. Paul and Toom walked them through the practical picture — the site was under active construction, and the logistics around a formal blessing were not what we would want to hand a couple who had flown across the world for their wedding day.

Toom offered an alternative she knows intimately: Wat Doi Thep Nimitr, a well-kept hillside temple where she volunteers and has set up ceremonies for many of our couples. The recommendation was not a substitute; it was the same intention in a setting we could hold properly for them.

Setting the time — 11:00 for the monks

Traditional monks blessings are shaped around the monks' morning: prayers, alms and their single meal. We confirmed an 11:00 start with the abbot so the ceremony could unfold without pressure on either side. That timing gave Alan and Thuy a calm arrival, room for family to settle, and space for the blessing itself to breathe.

The blessing itself

The service follows the Buddhist blessing we describe in our ceremony notes: chanting, the tying of sai sin thread, the presenting of offerings, and the sprinkling of holy water to close. It is short, precise, and unmistakably Thai. For Alan and Thuy, who had come specifically for this, it was the whole reason for the trip.

The days around the wedding

Around the ceremony, the couple asked us for the sort of local advice most guests want and few planners provide honestly. For their bachelor and bachelorette party in Patong we pointed them at Kudo Beach Club — a venue we send couples to when they want somewhere private and stress-free rather than the loudest room in town. Small recommendations, but they are part of what a planner is for.