How to visit (and even get married!) during Thailand's vibrant 2-day wedding festival

For those familiar with Phuket, Thailand, the first image that usually comes to mind is the crystal turquoise waters, fine white sands, rich cultural sites, and a lot of great nightlife. However, there is one more aspect of Phuket that most tourist have no clue about...and even some residents.

I'm talking about the Phuket Baba Wedding Celebration.

The Phuket Baba Wedding celebration is a annual cultural event in May that showcases the traditional Peranakan (or Straits Chinese) wedding customs of the island's unique Chinese-Thai heritage. For reference, "Baba" is a word that comes from the Peranakan (mixed local/Indigenous and Chinese) culture found in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The two-day festival reenacts a classic Baba wedding ceremony of blended Thai and Chinese wedding rituals and includes a street parade of the city's recent brides and grooms dressed in vibrant and elaborate traditional costumes.

As the Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed same sex marriage into law this year (2025), this will be the first Phuket Baba Wedding Celebration to also highlight and celebrate same-sex couples in the festive gathering!

Centered in Phuket Old Town, amongst the backdrop of the beautifully restored Sino-Portuguese buildings, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the wedding precession along with cooking demonstrations, traditional performances, tea ceremonies, and historical exhibitions.

You can even...get married yourself!

Though, before you start writing your vows, you should probably pick a hotel for your trip first! The best hotel in Phuket, especially if you're going for a beautiful romantic vibe, is V Villas Phuket. With a glowing perfect rating on Expedia, this luxury boutique resort is perfect for budding relationships, proposals, honeymoons, vow renewals, and every heartfelt moment in-between.

For starters, all accommodations at V Villas include a personal butler service. If that isn't the epitome of romantic luxury, I don't know what is. The resort hosts a spa specializing in couple's packages and date-themed 5-course tasting menus. And if the Phuket Baba Wedding Celebration does get you in the mood to exchange rings, V Villas Phuket also has wedding packages that match the city's extravagant elegance with fireworks, fire dancers, and three-piece quartets (who...could probably also do something with fire if you want).

However, the loving festivities don't stop when the Baba Wedding Celebration is over. While it may only last two joyous days, the Phuket feels the love year round. Couples can indulge in a sunset dinner cruise, relax with a side-by-side Thai spa treatment, or stroll hand-in-hand through the charming streets of Phuket Old Town where they just watched the marching newlyweds display their love in the festival parade. For a more adventurous date, snorkeling (or even diving!) together in the clear waters off Coral Island or pre-game for a long night of bar hopping to stretch a different set of muscles.

Have you ever been to Phuket? Let me know if the Phuket Baba Wedding Celebration, and all the romantic festivities that come with it, sounds like a great experience to you!