At the beginning of the day, the bride is traditionally waiting at her parent's house. The groom is expected to call out the bride by gathering a procession of his family and friends, bearing wrapped platters of gifts, usually friuts and Khmer desserts, with as many as 36 in number. The procession is led by a band of musicians and singers, who call out to observers to join in the procession to help create an impressive entourage for calling out the bride. Traditionally, the procession has symbolized the journey of the prince to meet his fair bride, as well as his ascension to the throne.

Khmer lore tells of the "Roang," a temporary tent erected for celebrations, including marriage, which the groom is not allowed to enter until the fateful event. The procession celebrates going forth into the roang.

Traditionally, the "mai ba," usually the father of the bride, comes out to greet the procession. The different number of fruits and desserts are counted, the more, the better, and if found to be satisfactory, the "mai ba" and "ma ha," representative for the groom's party, usually the achar, run through a humorous verbal parlay, which ends with the groom and the rest of the procession being invited into the "roang".

The "mai ba" and "ma ha" are the traditional matchmakers of Khmer society, who guarantee that the bride and groom are compatible with each other.