The Lanna wedding tradition known as "kinkhaek taeng-ngan" is full of the people's beliefs and moral concepts of marriage where a couple live a happy married life according to their traditions and customs.
The Lanna expression “when wood is good to be split a forest is good to be cleared by burning” refers to the period when a man and a woman reach maturity in all respects. They are qualified to have a family of their own.
If the young people love each other after taking some time for acquaintance, they can get serious about marriage, provided their parents give their consent.
As soon as they can afford an official wedding ceremony to announce their decision to live together, they will invite their relatives and friends of both sides to be their witnesses. This ceremony is called "kinkhaek" meaning having a large group of guest over for a feast and to bless the couple on their marriage.
In some rural areas in the olden times, it was not necessary to have a feast. The wedding ceremony was very simple. The lovers could merely inform their parents. The man could present a sum of money to the girl's parents as a manner of paying respect to her ancestral spirits (phi pu ya). Then the man would find an auspicious time to move into the woman's house, bringing along such possessions as a sword and clothing. This act is called "ao phua ao mia". So, marriage is considered a family matter and it needs no formality or grand reception. The big feast and complexity could be arranged if the people involved are of a wealthy family or a high rank or status. In this case the ceremony could be very elaborate, which also means a huge expense.