The South Beach Resort is a tiny hotel. It claims 10 rooms. And given the number of staff we saw, upon arrival, and the realization that we were the only guests in the hotel, we wondered how the economics of it worked.

We have figured it out, in the seven days since. Meetings, reunions, and especially … weddings!

We count three weddings here since we checked in. The place has a fairly big hall, on the first floor, and the tables there and just outside probably can seat 150 people.

Two of the weddings lasted at least six hours and included a big lunch. One seemed to have about 60 guests and the other had more. Maybe 80?

These were Buddhist weddings, and I’d never seen one or even glimpsed one. (It’s not as if I’m the type of person who can stand on the periphery and spy on it. And as the only Westerner peering, you kind of stand out, then become an object of curiosity yourself.)

At least two of the weddings began with the beating of drums by several guys wearing what I assume to be traditional Sri Lankan dress — colorful, a bit scant … think “Polynesians at the Cultural Center” on Oahu, in terms of the sort of outfits and colors.

(We are only 5 degrees north of the equator here, so heavy clothes, or lots of them, just make zero sense for the locals.)

The weddings seemed to have several stages, and some of them did not seem to require the presence of quite a few of the guests, many of whom could be found sitting or chatting in other parts of the hotel. One today was reading a newspaper.

We have been impressed by what appears to be the gravity of the event, at least those parts we have seen. The brides and grooms seem quite serious, when we have been watching.

The brides (above, before lunch) we have seen have worn white. My understanding is that just north of here, in India, at least among Hindus, white is not worn to weddings. Interesting.

The women guests and their daughters have come dressed quite colorfully, a riot of colors, mostly in a flowing, sari-type clothing styles.

The men have been less formal and usually less colorful. It could be a matter of local interpretation, though. A man wearing a shirt. slacks and sandals may be considered quite dressed up, by local standards. It’s not like we have seen anyone in a suit on this island.

One wedding had a long stretch of dancing, with a live band, and mostly it seems to be the men and children dancing. Adult women were not involved, at least when we peeked in.

The other interesting part of this was that one wedding began at about 11 a.m. on a Tuesday and another began at about 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday and each continued nearly until dark. If I understand this correctly, in Buddhism the idea of an “auspicious time” for a wedding has currency, which would explain how you could expect people to show up for long stretches during the work week.

Anyway, lots of people, and six hours or more.

Clearly, to the South Beach Resort, foreigners staying in a room for a week are just the icing on the profit/loss cake. The place is staying afloat on big social occasions attended by other Sri Lankans.