Weddings and Thai Women: The Construction of Weddings and the Portrayal of Thai Women Through Wedding Stories in Thai Wedding Magazines

Thai wedding magazines have been a primary resource for Thai women seeking wedding planning information. This study analyses the construction of weddings and investigates the portrayal of brides within the context of Thai wedding magazines by combining textual analysis and visual research methods. It investigates the social arrangements indicated in these magazines and the associated wedding ideology represented. Data for analysis is based on three magazines (Wedding Guru, We, and Love Wedding Magazine). There were twenty-two magazine issues and one hundred and thirty-two stories in total, covering the period from November 2014 – October 2015. These magazines are targeted at women in their 20s and older. The study reveals how Thai wedding magazines formulate the meaning of weddings and the role of Thai wedding magazines in the transmission of particular ideas about desirable weddings in Thai society, while also reinforcing notions of what constitutes the ideal life for women. Findings in terms of the content indicate that weddings and women as brides in Thai wedding magazines are constructed only in positive ways. That is to say, weddings and the act of becoming a bride are constructed as examples of an already achieved ‘ideal’ life.