Flowers at a Sinhalese wedding, Yakkala, Sri Lanka.

Flowers at the entrance to the reception hall.

Flowers on the dining table.

Flowers carried by the brides-maids.

Flowers surrounding the milk pots.

As you can see they 'say it with fresh flowers' in present Sri Lanka.

Pouring milk into a receptacle at a wedding, Yakkala, Sri Lanka.

'Dry ice' - solid carbondioxide - to simulate smoke at a wedding ceremony. The idea was to show boiling milk being poured into a receptacle.

Click on web-link below to see a video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx90VnGV2XE

Wesak home decorations, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

A lantern representing a 'Nelum' (Water lily) flower.

A collection of 'Atapattama' (eight sided) lanterns.

A ;Nelum' flower.

Trailing illuminated bulbs.

Decorations on a plantain stem using young coconut leaves ('Gokkola')

Video-games on a 'Tablet', Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Playing video-games on a Huwei 'tablet' can be fascinating. There is group participation with more weightage by the younger ones.

Wesak, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Mobile Wesak lanterns at the grounds of the Janadhipathy Vidyalaya, Avissawella. Wesak in the Sri Lankan Theravada tradition of Buddhism celebrates the Birth, Day of Enlightenment and Parinibbaana (Extinction of earthly life) of Lord Buddha more than 2000 years ago. It is celebrated as occurring on the same day of the calendar. Wesak lanterns are prepared weeks in advance and are then hung and illuminated on Wesak full moon day in May.
The whole family helps in making these lanterns out of split cane trunk and tissue paper. 
Watch a video of the making of an eight sided lantern ('Atapattama') by clicking on the web-link below:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGY9k3HAsg

Wedding customs of the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka.

Pots of milk.

Pouring milk into the pots by the newly-wed.

Wedding customs of the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka.

Tying of the knot binding the little fingers.

Handing over the bride by pouring water over the tied fingers.

Flowers in the hands of the girls singing 'Jayamangala Gathas' - Stanza's of blessing composed in Pali.

Preparing to break a coconut at the auspicious hour when the couple step off the 'poruwa'