Wedding cost in Vietnam

If you would like to set up ceremony in a hotel in Vietnam. It costs around USD30++ per person. However, in the small hotel or restaurant, the cost will be cheaper. The cost might be around VND 100,000-300,000 per head + room charge around USD90-200 per night.

All of these not include wedding dress + make up or the money to pay for parent. It is only the cost of party during the wedding night. I see most of Vietnamese like to set up small party in front of their house, instead of setting up in the hotels.

Vietnamese Wedding VDO

During the reception, the groom, bride, and their parents will stop by each table to say thank to their guests. The guest in return, will give envelopes containing wedding cards and money gifts to the newly wedded couples along with their blessing. A lot of weddings nowadays are followed by a dancing party, which is opened by the groom and the bride's first dance. The party does not recess until very late at night. The newly wedded couples then leave for their honey moon.

History Vietnamese Traditional wedding clothes

While traditional wedding clothes of Vietnam have always been very diverse depending on the era and occasion, it is known that after the Nguyen dynasty, women began to wear elaborate Áo dài for their weddings which were modelled on the Áo mệnh phụ (royal Áo dài) of Nguyen dynasty court ladies. The style of the Nguyen dynasty has remained popular and is still used for modern weddings. The difference of the Áo mệnh phụ from the typical Áo dài is the elaborateness of its design (usually embroidered with imperial symbols such as the phoenix) and the extravagant outer cloak. With this gown which is preferably in red or pink, the bride usually wears a Khăn đống headdress. The groom wears a simpler male equivalent, often in blue.
Previous to the Nguyen dynasty, it is likely that women simply wore fancy, elaborate versions of Áo tứ thân.

Traditional Dress in a Changing World

In Viet Nam, the ao dai is the traditional dress for women. Developed from Chinese court clothing in the 1930s, this style of clothing went out of fashion in the north in 1954 and in the south in 1975. Recently, however, it has made a comeback and is regaining popularity in the south among schoolgirls and office workers, and is being worn at formal functions. An indication of social standing, the ao dai is worn by women who work as shop assistants or who have a higher social status, while manual workers typically wear a loose top and baggy pants called an ao ba ba.

The ao dai is considered to be an elegant, yet demure, garment. Traditionally, long, wide- legged trousers are worn under a high-necked, long-sleeved, fitted tunic with slits along each side. The outfit’s pants reach to the soles of the feet, often trailing along the ground. Over time, the dress tunic has evolved, keeping with fashion trends, and has grown shorter and shorter until it now falls just below the knees. The ao dai can also be identified by its mandarin-style or boat-neck collar. Young girls wear only pastel colored or white garments while married women wear either dark or bright tunics over black or white trousers.

Historically, Vietnamese men dressed in mandarin style suits. With a tunic shorter and fuller than the ao dai, the suit’s color was traditionally determined by the man’s class and social rank. For example, a purple suit denoted a high rank while blue denoted a low rank. Status was also indicated through a variety of embroidered symbols. Today the mandarin suit is rarely worn except for in traditional dance or music performances.

In general, Vietnamese people dress conservatively. Although some young women wear more close-fitting, Western-style clothing, it is considered inappropriate to wear revealing clothes during the day. One Westerner teaching English in Viet Nam was advised to tuck her shirt into her trousers if she expected respect from her students. It is considered inappropriate for educated people to wear their shirts untucked.

Ao Dai Wedding Styles 1

AoDai Weddind Styles 1

Vietnamese traditional dress showcased in Thailand

Vietnamese traditional dress showcased in Thailand

A performance of Vietnamese traditional long dress (ao dai) was organised on December 3 in Ayutthaya, the former capital city of Thailand, attracting a lot of Thai and regional audiences.
This is under the framework of the first ASEAN Arts and Crafts Festival (AACF) which was held from November 29 to December 3.

During around one hour, six collections of Vietnamese traditional long dresses and Vietnamese traditional brassieres through the performance of 14 models of the Kalawin Fashion House of Thailand attracted the audiences.

Audiences highly appreciated the collections whose designs and harmony of colours highlighted the value of the tradition and modernity of Vietnam.

Designs by Lan Huong performed in Thailand.

Designer Lan Huong said she herself chose high quality material such as silk and taffeta from provinces of Ha Tay, Lam Dong and Da Nang for her products. Therefore, her dresses are combined with features of famous silk and embroidery handicraft villages in Vietnam. This aims to honour the beauty of women and the cultural and art values of Vietnam.

AoDai Wedding Styles 2

Vietnamese in Traditional Red

East Asians are ringing in the Lunar New Year in a big way. And many Asian brides select this auspicious time of the year to get married.

Vietnamese people celebrate the lunar year in pretty much the exact same manner as the Chinese people do. There are many similarities when it comes to wedding traditions as well.
For example, Chinese brides, both modern and classic, typically change outfits three or more times on their wedding night.

Vietnamese brides do the same. The bride, in fact, may wear four to five dresses. And the groom changes outfits too!
The traditional Vietnamese wedding dress, known as Ao Dai, is often fashioned in brilliant red and yellow.

It is embellished by intricate embroidery of golden yellow motifs that denote marital bliss and prosperity. It is interesting to note that the national dress for both women and men is Ao Dai, which is worn both for festive wedding occasions and every day use.

The term Ao Dai literally means "long dress" and it is made up of over four layers of silky overlapping fabric, which are pleated over loose-fitting trousers made from the same fabric. It is believed that the more the layers, the more wealth of the wearer. Since this form of dress in a way denotes the financial status of the person who is wearing it, some well-heeled people wear multiple Ao Dai to show off their riches!

Ao Dai has a snug fitting bodice with long slits that run down from the waist and diagonal seams that extend from the neckline to the underarm to accentuate the natural curves of the hourglass figurines.

The brides also opt for an outer robe over the Ao dai for a classic appearance. There are many necklines to opt for such as mandarin collars to complete the picture of this stunning wedding gown.

To redefine conventions, go for the bold low neck style. That will grab attention as you pace down the aisle with your partner hand in hand!

Wedding gowns are almost always red in color though brilliant pink is also used at times.
The exceptional gold trimmings add dollops of exuberance to the wedding garb. Normally the trimmings of traditional motifs, Chinese alphabets or the name of the couple are painted or stitched along the back, cuff and collar.

The bride adorns her head with the typical cone shaped hat made from dried woven leaves or the more popular saucer shaped khanh vanh. The bride and the groom change their gowns at least three times during the wedding.

The wedding trousseau can includes a western wedding gown with white tuxedo, to the Ao Dai and the evening gown with black tuxedo.

These days, Ao Dai has attained a cult status of an elegant stately costume that accentuates all types of feminine frames. It is a popular wedding option among westerners as well, to infuse an Asian a theme into their weddings.

Photo courtesy of Quynh

Sharing a poem on Ao Dai

Dear Author,

As a Vietnamese I must be grateful to you and to your article on the Ao Dai of Vietnam.

I would like to share with you a poem on the Ao Dai Vietnam, firstly in Vietnamese then later in English. If Ihave a chance to meet you or to serve you as a tour guide, I will recite the poem in Vietnamese.

Ao dai doi canh tien bay
La hon dan toc, huong say cua doi
Don so hai manh tuyet voi
Than sau, vat truoc thanh loi nuoc non

Ao Dai, the two wings of a fairy
The spirit of the Vietnamese people and the perfume of life.
Very simple with two wonderful flaps
One in the front and the other in the back
And it makes beautiful words of the country

Hope you like the poem.

Vietnamese Wedding Picture

A Wedding in Vietnam

Organizing a wedding is very important for a couple because it's an event that happens once in their life. So, the prepare carefully for the marriage wedding ceremony. One day before the wedding ceremony, both families build a frame made from coconut leaves in front of their houses. On the top of each frame, there is a small red board with these words in yellow: TAN HON at the groom's house and VU QUY at the bride's house.


On the day of the wedding ceremony, all the groom's family have to go to the bride's home on time because they chose the good time some months ago. The wedding traditional gifts include betel and areca-nut, cake, and fruit. Then, the groom and the bride worship at the altar of ancestors.

Next, the bride puts the ring onto the bride's finger, earrings into her ears, and a necklace onto her neck. The cost of jewelry depends on the groom's finances. The bride also puts a ring onto the groom's finger.

After that, he brings her to his house. They sometimes have a small meal at the bride's house. On that evening, they have a wedding party at a restaurant with their relatives and friends.

There is usually a band to play music during their mean. In the middle of the meal, the couple go around and go to each table to get wishes and gifts or money from their relatives and friends.

In conclusion, after the party, the bride belongs to the groom's family, and she will live with the groom for the rest of her life if nothing wrong happens to their life!! This is style of wedding.

Traditional Wedding of the Cham people in Vietnam

For Vietnamese, wedding is one of three most important things to do all one’s life. Because of the diversify in culture of 54 different ethnic minority groups inhabiting Vietnam, wedding ceremonies are also held differently in different ethnic groups. And Cham people is one of Vietnam ethnic groups have wedding ceremonies held in a special way.

When the final day of the Ramadan festival ends (in mid-October), you will see only women, men and children on the paths of a Cham village in An Giang. Cham girls aged 12 and 13 are kept at home. Gusts of autumn wind and the rain in this province on the southeast border bring me a torrent of indescribable emotion. Laughter and congratulations echo from somewhere, giving notice that the wedding season has arrived.

The Cham people in An Giang live mainly in Tan Chau, Phu Tan and An Phu districts in Chau Doc city, along the banks of the Chau Giang river, the second biggest town at the headwaters of the Hau river. The Cham people live and work under the creed of Islam, which is best shown in their wedding customs.

…
Strangers are very rarely invited to a Cham wedding. A wedding of the Cham people in An Giang lasts for three days. The bride and groom decorate their house on the first day. The rituals to prepare the groom and the bride to enter family life are held on the second day. The third day is the most important. The wedding is held in the mosque and the groom goes to the bride’s house.

The tea ceremony and singing performances last until 1 a.m., and in the early morning all the people in the groom’s party are present to attend the ceremony. At 6 a.m., everyone, all dressed in formal costume, accompany the groom in traditional Cham costume to the mosque. There are only men (women are not allowed in the mosque) and three children carrying three boxes. In the boxes are betel, areca and lime in the first box, rice and salt in the second box, cakes and fruit in the third box. The groom is shaded from the sun with a colorful parasol over his head. Villagers rush to attend the ceremony and noisily discuss it. The groom is taken to the mosque on foot, not by motorbike or by car.

On the way to the mosque, flutes or drums are played and people sing together. On arrival at the mosque the groom sits opposite to the bride’s father. There are two elders, who lead a very moral life, who witness the ceremony. An imam reads from the Koran, telling the groom about the responsibilities of a husband under Islamic regulations. Then the bride’s father shakes the groom’s hand and says: “I marry my daughter, Mahriem to you, Sarol, with I tael of gold and 5 million”. After that everyone prays for the good health and happiness of the couple. The ceremony lasts for only about 15 minutes in the mosque.

Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony Before Wedding

In Vietnam, the engagement is a festive ceremony involving the fiance's and fianc�e's families, and arranged in advance by the parents. The engagement is considered very important, and in some areas, even more important than the wedding.

Well before the engagement day, each family chooses two representatives from their side. The representatives can be family members or friends, but are usually a married couple who have a happy family of their own. Although there are two representatives, the man is the one who actually does the representation, requesting for fianc�e's hand in marriage on behalf of the fiance's family, exchanging gifts, and controlling the flow of the ceremony.

In addition to selecting their representatives, the families get together to negotiate the dowry and a date and time for the ceremony. Traditionally, the date and time are chosen based on the fiance's and fianc�e's dates and hours of birth, but in a fast-paced society, such as that of the United States, it's usually a matter of convenience. So, almost any good weekend will do.

Several days prior to engagement day the fiance's parents prepare gifts to proffer to the fianc�e's family. These gifts include betel leaves and areca nut fruits (trau cau), wine, tea, husband-wife cake (banh phu the), sticky rice, other foods, and jewelry. They are placed in trays and wrapped in red plastic paper, with the belief that red will bring good luck. In addition to the other foods, a whole pig is roasted and placed in a large tray, to be carried to the fianc�e's home by two young men. Mean while, the fianc� is getting the ring ready, and the fianc�e, preparing herself for the ceremony.

On engagement day, the fiance's family bear the gifts to the fianc�e's home and is greeted by the fianc�e's family. Once everyone is inside, fiance's representative asks the other representative for the fianc�e's hand in marriage on behalf of his party. The fianc�e's representative graciously accepts the gifts and presents the fianc�e to her in-laws to be united. Together, the engaged couple prays in front of the family altar and asks their ancestor for approval. When the prayer is finished, the fianc� places the engagement ring on his fianc�e's finger.

Following the ring presentation, the representatives formally introduce their party's family members according to his or her family role. From this moment forward, the fianc� and fianc�e are official members of their in-law family, and should refer to their in-law family members by their respective roles--"dad", "mom", "uncle", "aunt", and so forth. The parents in return accept a new son or daughter into their own family. After the ceremony, the families celebrate the momentous occasion with a feast organized by the fianc�e's family. It is expected that half of the food gifts received be unwrapped and shared before the fiance's family leaves.

The day after the engagement, the engaged couple and their parents visit the neighbors, friends, co-workers, and relatives who could not attend the ceremony. They bring some betel leaves and areca nuts, tea and/or wines to spread the good fortune.

from http://www.tuvy.com

The story of Cười(wedding)., the lonely boy on the moon

Vietnamese children were told that on certain nights, if they looked at the moon, they could see the lone image of Cuoi, seated at the foot of a banyan tree. Sometimes, he would even turn his head to look at them and smile. The story of his ascension to the moon is quite interesting and is being passed on from generations to generations.

"Once upon a time, there was a little boy of a very poor family. He was able to work as a buffalo boy, taking care of water buffaloes in the rice fields for a rich farmer, in exchange for food and shelter. One day, while gathering wood in the forest, he came upon a tiger cub, picked it up and wanted to play with the cub, when the mother tigress came growling. Terrified, he threw the cub to the ground and climbed up a tree to hide. He did it with such force that he killed the cub. When the mother tigress saw that her cub was dead, she went to a certain banyan tree,

gathered some leaves, chewed them and applied the pulp to the head of her dead cub. Cuoi could not believe what he saw. The little tiger jumped to its feet, frolicking in the sun, as if nothing had happened. When the tigress and her baby disappeared, quickly he got down from his shelter, ran to the miraculous banyan tree and gathered some leaves and took them home with him.

On his way home , he saw a dead dog. Eager to try what he had seen , he chewed some leaves and applied the pulp to the dog's head. Immediately the dog came to life and barked at him, waving its tail.

Cuoi understood that the leaves of the banyan tree had this miraculous power to restore life to the dead. So, he returned to the same place the next day, uprooted the tree, dragged it to the farmer's home and planted it in the yard.

The farmer's wife was quite curious and demanded to know what Cuoi was doing. He did not want to tell her about the miraculous property of his find, but simply asked her not to put dirty kitchen wastes at the foot of his tree. "The tree will fly away to the moon, he answered her, half jokingly.

The farmer's wife, not satisfied with Cuoi's answer, decided to find out and so, day after day, dumped rubbish at the foot of the tree. One day, to her surprise, the tree slowly moved and began to fly up into the sky.

from http://www.suite101.com

Traditional wedding clothes since the Nguyen dynasty

While traditional clothes of Vietnam have always been very diverse depending on the era and occasion, it is known that after the Nguyen dynasty, women began to wear elaborate Áo dài for their weddings which were modelled on the Áo mệnh phụ (royal Áo dài) of Nguyen dynasty court ladies. The style of the Nguyen dynasty has remained popular and is still used for modern weddings. The difference of the Áo mệnh phụ from the typical Áo dài is the elaborateness of its design (usually embroidered with imperial symbols such as the phoenix) and the extravagant outer cloak. With this gown which is preferably in red or pink, the bride usually wears a Khăn đống headdress. The groom wears a simpler male equivalent, often in blue.

Previous to the Nguyen dynasty, it is likely that women simply wore fancy, elaborate versions of Áo tứ thân.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vietnamese Traditional Wedding

Vietnamese traditional wedding strictly follows a procedure that has existed for hundreds of years. It reflects the traditional idea of propriety and conjugal life.

In the past, especially among the upper classes, a marriage was arranged not by the couple themselves but by their families based on each side’s economic and social status. The purpose of marriage was not only the settlement of the couple’s life but also the establishment of an alliance between two families. Even today when young people can freely choose their partners, the first step towards marriage is always obtaining formal permission from the two families. Therefore the organization and preparation of a wedding is an important affair in which every family member must contribute (the family here is the extended family consisting of the nuclear family and all the relatives from the father’s side).

A traditional wedding has six stages: nap thai (also called cham ngo in casual speech. The groom’s family visits the bride’s family to formally request permission for him to marry her. The groom has to present his future wife with betel leaves and betel-nuts, the symbol of the unbreakable bond of marriage, as a proof of his sincerity), van danh (also called an hoi.The couple are formally introduced to each other and to their future spouse’s family. This is also a time for two families especially the parents to get to know each other), nap cat (the groom’s family informs the wedding plan for the bride’s family to decide), thinh ky (the bride’s family announces their final decisions about the wedding), nap te (representative of the bride’s family bring what necessary for the bride in the wedding and some gifts to the bride’s family at the appointed time and date), than nghenh (this is the chief part. Wedding rituals are performed before the ancestral altars of two families.

The couple then officially become husband and wife). In the past, omitting any of these stages was a grievous violation of propriety that scandalized the families involved but nowadays only three most important stages (nap thai, van danh, than nghenh) are kept to save time and money.

Traditional Vietnamese wedding rituals and customs are a mixture of native and Chinese cultures and are strongly influenced by Confucian morality. Their purposes are to ensure the conjugal happiness for the couple and to form close relations between two families. The groom comes to the bride’s house with an elder of his family who has had a happy family life to pay homage to the ancestors of the bride’s family and to pay respect to her parents.

Then the bride is taken before the ancestral altar of her husband’s family where she will be “introduced” to her husband’s ancestors’ spirits as the new family member. After that, the couple will share a cup of rice wine and a small dish of steamed sticky rice as a promise to share happiness as well as hardship. After the ceremony is over, there is usually a wedding party with the presence of members of both families and some family friends to celebrate the union of not only the couple but also the two families.

References:
Phan Ke Binh, “The Customs of Vietnam”, Van Hoc Publisher
Huu Ngoc and Lady Borton, “Wedding Customs”, The Gioi Publisher

Order of ceremony

Welcome (Bride’s representative)

Present the gifts (Groom’s representative)

Accept the gifts & open gifts (Bride’s parent)

Incense offering (Father of the Bride)

Present the bride (Mother of the Bride)

Candle lighting (Groom and Bride fathers)

Pay respect to ancestors (Bride and Groom stand at the altar and bow to the ancestors)

Wedding ceremony (Myly Nguyen – Authorised Marriage Celebrant)

* Vows and Ring Ceremony

* Signing of the Register
Congratulations and Jewellery (dowry) for the bride
Tea Ceremony (Groom & Bride serve wine to the parents)
Blessing from relatives and friends

Vietnamese Wedding Today

Today, a lot of Vietnamese couples have their wedding ceremony done in Temples or Churches which is very much similar to American and Western style, including exchanging vows and wedding rings. However, they still maintain Vietnamese traditional ceremony in the bride's home before heading to temples or churches.

A wedding banquet is scheduled in the evening at a hotel or a big restaurant. It is always a delight feast that all relatives, friends, and neighbors are invited. A music band is usually hired to play live songs.

At the banquet, the groom, bride, and their family are once again introduced to the guests and everyone will drink a toast. Dinner will be served at the tables.

During the reception, the groom, bride, and their parents will stop by each table to say thank to their guests. The guest in return, will give envelopes containing wedding cards and money gifts to the newly wedded couples along with their blessing. A lot of weddings nowadays are followed by a dancing party, which is opened by the groom and the bride's first dance. The party does not recess until very late at night. The newly wedded couples then leave for their honey moon.

Vietnamese Wedding Reception

If you are invited to a Vietnamese wedding reception at a Chinese restaurant, here are a few tips to enhance your experience.

• Arrival time: The 10-course banquet (and it’s always 10 courses, fewer and you risk seeming cheap, more and you’re pompous) starts two hours after the time announced on the invitation. This is the prime manifestation of the Vietnamese "rubber clock." All Vietnamese know this. If the invitation says 6 pm, they show up at 7:45. It's the pale-faced American guests, who are always punctual, that will arrive at 5:59 to an empty restaurant, and will sit there wondering if those Vietnamese are holding out on them and having a pre-reception party somewhere.

• The audio experience: In all the dozens of Vietnamese wedding receptions I have been to in the past decade, only two had used classical musicians. The rest used pop/dance bands—and bad ones. The rule of thumb is: the worse they are, the louder they play—to mask their mistakes, no doubt. Coming home with your ears ringing is a ritual. So bring your ear plugs. As a matter of fact, bring a whole box of disposable ones. You’ll make a tidy profit at your table.

• The gifts: Vietnamese only give cash gifts (in the form of checks). It’s the one good thing about the Vietnamese wedding. It saves the guests the trouble of having to shop for presents, and the bride and groom the trouble of returning 9 of the 10 electric fans they will get. Now how those presents are presented is another matter. During a break in the ear-piercing music, the bride and groom, their parents, and entourage will visit each table. The parents or their representative will introduce the bride and groom, and one elected person at the table will stand up and give a little speech, bestowing best wishes on the couple. This person is usually the oldest person at the table, so unless you’re eager to give speeches, act young. This is also the perfect time to lie about your age. After this speech, guests at the table will hand over the wedding cards (with the checks inside) to one of the attendants in the entourage. The current rule of thumb for the gift amount is at least $50 per person in the guest party, more if you’re related or really close to the couple. This is one reason the Vietnamese wedding is almost always a positive cash-flow investment for the happy couple.

Vietnamese Wedding Traditions

On the morning of a wedding in Vietnam, the groom's mother visits the bride's family and offers them two gifts. The first is a special plant, that represents respect, and the second is pink chalk, which is the color of happiness.

On his wedding day, as the groom heads to collect his bride, he picks up friends and family along his way. They arrive at his future wife's house bearing wedding presents of jewelry, clothing and money.

from
http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com

Flowers Brides Often Choose

If you are newly engaged and planning wedding details such as silk wedding flowers and unique reception centerpieces then you must read this article. This can be a wonderful, exciting, and challenging time. Like brides to be, you will want everything to be perfect. When planning your wedding you will find it to be a major undertaking.

The process is like another full time job. Brides have many decisions to make. These can be big things to small things. Brides have a budget to consider or their family will. All of this with a time line to get everything done! For brides this is not an easy task. In this article I have simplified the process of selecting flowers. This includes choosing your bouquet style and choosing table centerpieces as well as gifts for the special family and friends.

I have found that brides are requesting more colorful and large bouquets. These range in styles from tussie mussies, to hand-tied bouquets. It is up to the individual taste and creativity the brides want.
Bouquet accessories have become more popular. These can range from clear and colored Swarovski crystal embellishments to semi-precious jewels. I have found more brides are requesting that designers incorporate special family keepsakes like fabrics, heirloom jewels, and other important things into the bridal bouquet.

Brides are choosing bridesmaid bouquets smaller than normal. They in turn are putting their money into their own bouquet. Some brides choose silk flowers as different flowers can be made in similar shades of the primary bridal color. Currently brides are taking the colors from the bridal bouquet and adding them into the reception. Some brides are choosing large party drinks in complementary colors. Or they may choose exotics like single orchids, single bird-of-paradise, and other interesting flowers in set in clear water.

There are more and more brides are giving the reception centerpieces to family and friends as gifts. Many will choose silk flowers because this way the people closest to you will have that keepsake for many years. Here are some flowers that brides are currently choosing for their bridal bouquet:

Miniature Calla Lilies. These come in a multitude of different colors. Orchids. These can range from the exotic to the trendy Hydrangeas. These are a beautiful choice in a few different colors. Roses. These flowers are always a great traditional standby. Lilies. These are less traditional than roses can be combined nicely with non-traditional florals. Gerber daisies. These come in bright colors but are usually only seasonal.

By Victor Epand

Tea Ceremony in Vietnamese Wedding

Tea Ceremony (Groom & Bride serve wine to the parents)


While tea has always been an essential part of Vietnamese life, for commoners Vietnamese tea culture never became as complex or bogged down with rituals as its counterparts in Japan or China. Nevertheless, a traditional wedding is about the only time in a Vietnamese person's life that a formal tea ceremony is essential.
In The Vietnamese Wedding the Groom and the Bride in front of all their family and friends will serve tea (or wine) to their parents. Their parents would take turn to give their blessing, advice about marriage and family to the couple and give the newly wedded value gifts such as money in a red envelop.

The groom then pours tea for the couple, first into one large bowl then into one cup for bride. They drink the tea as they are watched closely by their family and friends. The offer and acceptance of tea is a very important ritual in Vietnamese culture. It denotes the commencement of important interactions and events.
The tea is prepared specially by the host, and to refuse tea is considered an affront.

Vietnamese wedding dress 6

Vietnamese Wedding Banquet

Vietnamese wedding food similar like Chinese wedding food, has special symbolism: mostly wishes of happiness, longevity, or fertility. The number of courses is also significant as same as Chinese culture. At a wedding banquet, eight dishes are usually served – not including the dessert as a "good luck".

Nowadays, a wedding banquet starts with appetizers such as “dragon-phoenix” plates or cold plates which consist of various sliced meats, jellyfish, and various types of nuts shaped like dragons and phoenixes and served chilled. In a marriage, the dragon symbolises the male role while the phoenix symbolises the female role.

Roast Suckling Pig. Roasted pork is a symbol of virginity. (The groom presents a whole roasted pork to the bride’s family at the engagement party and at the wedding ceremony in the morning).

Quail. According to Shu Shu Costa, the author of Wild Geese and Tea, pigeon has tender meat that symbolises peace. Quail is offered whole to each guest so each and every one will also experience a peaceful life.

Shark’s Fin Soup. Usually follows the appetizers. The type of soup has some significance, for example, shark’s fin soup indicates wealth because this delicacy is very expensive.

Lobster. Red is the color for happiness, so serving Lobster would signify joy and celebration. Also, serving the dish whole, i.e. the whole lobster, would symbolise completeness.

Vegetables with Sea Cucumber. Serving sea cucumber with vegetables is a sign of selflessness because “sea cucumber” sounds like “good heart” and this dish wishes the couple to think in a similar way – to avoid conflict.

Fish. Serving fish would hope that the couple will experience a life together with abundance because “fish”" sounds like “plentiful”.

Noodles served at the end would symbolise longevity because noodles come in long strands.

Sweet Red Bean Soup. Serving dessert probably wishes the newlyweds a sweet life. The hot sweet red bean soup should contain lotus seeds and a red beans to wish the newlyweds a hundred years of togetherness.

I've noticed lately at many weddings, at the end of the banquet, waiters usually pass out take-away boxes to the guests because there is usually enough food for everyone and some left over; this represents abundance. It is acceptable to take some of the food home because it is not good to waste good food – or anything else for that matter.

Reference:
Costa, S. S., Wild Geese and Tea: Asian-American Wedding Planner. NY: Riverhead Books, 1997

Vietnamese Traditional Wedding Ceremony

Vietnamese traditional wedding ceremony and official signing wedding certificate usually take place in the morning.


On the day of the ceremony, the Groom’s family go to the Bride’s home on a certain time frame (chosen from the fortune-teller). They bring all traditional gifts in the red boxes, wrapped in red papers for the bride’s family. In each red box would have jewelry (wedding ring& band, jade bangle, necklace, earrings, depends on how wealth the Groom’s family is), wine, cake, and four to six different kinds of foods (the ones that represented happiness, longevity, good luck, etc).


Female are dress in Ao Dai (long dress). Male could be in their suits or men traditional Ao Dai. The Groom’s family enter into the Bride’s house usually lead by a old couple that most healthy and successful among the relatives, this means to wish the to-be-wed couple a blessing life together in the future, follow by the Groom’s parent, the Groom and the rest of family in a pair.


Marriage Civil Celebrant or sometime a respected person among the bride's relative’s welcome the guests and asks the bride's parent to present their daughter. This ceremony similar likes the “Giving Away” in western wedding ceremony.
The bride then follows her parents out in a Vietnamese traditional wedding dress (Ao Dai), which is usually in red.


The ceremony starts in front of the altar. First the to-be-wed couple kneel down and pray, asking ancestors' permission to be married, also asking for blessing on their family-to-be.


The candle ceremony is next symbolise the joining of the Bride and Groom and their families. The candles usually lit by fathers of the Bride and Groom and only after the couple worshiped the altar of ancestors.


Monitum from the Marriage Act and asking the couple agreed in marriage is a legal part between the ceremony.


The Groom’s mother then open the red box, put all the jewelry on the bride, and then the couple exchange their vow and wedding rings.


Declaration of marriage and signing an official wedding certificates in front of both families and relatives.


After the presentation of wedding certificate, the couple then turn around and bow to both parents to say thank you. The Groom and the Bride's parents would take turn to give their blessing and give the newly wedded value gifts such as money in a red envelop. Tea ceremony happens during parents blessing.

Vietnamese Wedding Aodai

Nowaday, Vietnamese brides usually choose the Western white dresses for their wedding. But another ones choose Aodai.
Wedding Aodai is a little different from unsual Aodai which are worn everyday . ( Vietnamese people usually wear Aodai as the uniform in some companies , the uniform in high schools...)

So How is the different between Usual Aodai and Wedding Aodai ?

Wedding Aodai has many colors: Pink, Red, Gold, Blue, White and Black. But with our tradditional, the Red and Gold are choosen most. Because the Red color means Lucky in life and the Gold means Rich and Royal.

But now, following the western style, many designers and tailors make Aodai in Pink, White or another colors fabric.
Wedding Aodai usually has 3 parts : Hat, long dress cover outside and Aodai inside. Sometimes, Long dress cover is as same color as Aodai but sometimes isn't.

The Bridegrooms sometimes wear Aodai, too.
And every details on Long dress outside are hand-embroidered or drawing by hand with the pictures of dragon with phoenix , or lotus flower

Vietnamese wedding dress Idea

Vietnamese wedding dresses have a long history steeped it Vietnamese tradition. It is important to understand the national Vietnamese dress before exploring the wedding dress. For both women and men, the national dress of Vietnam is called “Ao Dai” – for every day wear and for special occasions.
Ao Dai means “long dress”. Early versions comprised of 4 to 5 panels of silky, flowing fabric, layered over loose-fitting trousers of the same material. The number of layers usually signified the wealth of the person wearing it – the more panels or layers, the more wealth. Some of the very wealthy would even wear more than one ao dai at the same time.

Presently, most ao dai consist of only two pieces – a dress worn over loose silk pants, the dress varying in length from just below the knee to the ground. The dress consists of two to four panels, has a well-fitted bodice and is split on the sides from the waist down. Early versions had buttons up the front or side, but in recent years, the seams run diagonally from the neckline to the underarm and seem to be the preferred style.

The necklines usually vary between two styles – the “boat” or the “mandarin” style. The “boat” style is more open, off the neck and preferred in warmer climates. The “mandarin” style is a high stiff collar – the length of the collar depending on the person wearing it. Sometimes, the collar is formed by the many layers (or colors) of the ao dai – as many as seven at once. Occasionally, a low-scooped neck style will be worn, but these are less common. Most ao dai are custom tailored, made to fit each individual body. Some of the lesser quality ao dai are now being mass produced, but they are less fitted and designed.

Colors vary with the ao dai now, but originally were indicative of a person’s age and social status. Schoolgirls continue to wear solid white, symbolizing their purity. As a girl ages, she begins wearing soft pastels. The bolder colors are reserved for married and mature women.

For her wedding, the bride wears an outer robe (the ao choang) over the ao dai to create a more formal look. Red is considered the marriage gown color, although bright pink may also be used. At times, gold silk trims the ao dai and/or the ao choang. Unique trimmings are often painted or embroidered on the garment. The couple’s names, Chinese characters or beautiful images are used as trimmings along the collar, cuff or back.

The bride’s head is adorned with a matching headpiece, either the non la (a cone-shaped hat made from dried, woven leaves) or the khanh vanh. Many say this most popular style resembles a flying saucer.

During the wedding day, the bride and groom may change their clothes as many as three or four times – from a western-style wedding gown and white tuxedo, to the ao dai for both the bride and groom, to formal evening gown and black tuxedo.
Overall, the ao dai is a graceful, stately costume, flattering to almost any figure. It has become a popular garment in western culture as well, with numerous internet sites available for ordering ao dai – as a custom made or a pre-made dress.

Catholic Wedding in Vietnam

A Catholic vietnamese wedding is religious wedding performed by Catholic Priest and requiring both partners to be of single status and church members. The Catholic Church will not allow Vietnamese for divorced persons to marry again except if the former spouse is deceased. You will come to a selected Catholic Cathedral in HCMC for the ceremony.

This ceremony will be legal by religion only. The procedure for initiating such a religious ceremony involves the couple arranging an interview with their local parish priest (in their own country) and obtaining a letter of recommendation (in English) from him about their desire to get married. This letter should also state the couple’s status as members of the Catholic faith.

This letter will provide the evidence and authority necessary under world-wide church agreements for the local Catholic Priest in Vietnam to perform the ceremony in accordance with Church traditions.

The Wedding Ao Dai : Beautiful Vietnam

Today, most people are familiar with the popular Vietnamese royal costume from the Nguyen dynasty called the áo mệnh phụ. It is a lot more colorful and festive in decoration compared to the regular áo dài.

It has a long and flowing outer robe with huge, wide sleeves and is worn by royal females of the Nguyen dynasty for public appearances.

In the last few years, the áo mệnh phụ has been the standard costume worn by lovely Vietnamese brides. The áo mệnh phụ is often accompanied by the silk brocade, crown-like headgear called the khăn đóng.

Although the áo mệnh phụ’s popularity waned for a time because of its extravagant appearance, this costume has returned with a vengeance for both the Vietnamese locals and the members of Vietnam communities overseas.

Vietnamese Wedding Ao Dai Styles1

Ao Dai Styles 1

The Procession and gifts in Vietnamese Wedding

The procession of the groom’s family is led by specific order; usually the first person will be a man chosen as the representative of the groom's house (he should have a good manner of speaking along with high status in society), followed by the groom's father, the groom, then the rest of his immediate family and close friends. Huge traditional umbrellas are carried and accompany the front of the procession.

Interestingly, in the past the groom's mother did not take part in the procession as a sign that she would not be a threat to the future bride (and she would even hide for a short period upon the bride's welcome into the groom's home). However, this practice has long been abandoned. The number of people participating in a procession varies but is usually restricted to a smaller number (20 or so) to make it easier on the bride's family who will be receiving all of the guests.


In the procession, the groom and his family (among others) will be bearing elaborately decorated lacquer boxes, covered in red cloth. Inside these boxes are gifts representing the wealth the groom's family will bring to the bride's family. Gifts include: betel, wine, tea, fruit, cakes, a roast pig, and an abundance of jewelry for the bride (the amount of jewelry depending on the personal wealth of the groom's family). Usually the number of gift boxes varies from 6 or 8, but never 7 or 9 which is seen as bad luck.


Upon arriving at the bride's home, firecrackers are lit to alert the bride's family, who then light their own round of firecrackers to welcome the groom's family into their home. After each gift of food is accepted by the bride's parents, the groom then receives permission to greet the bride, who is finally brought out.

Symbols of Vietnamese Wedding

Traditional and modern symbols of marriage are often featured during Vietnamese marriage ceremonies as decorations on the wedding umbrellas, lacquer gift boxes (or the red cloth that covers them), or even the decorations in the homes of both the bride and groom. They usually include lanterns, doves, initials of the couple, so on so forth. However one symbol that is indispensable are the words "song hỷ" (also written as the character 囍). Vietnamese was written formerly in Chinese characters as well as the vernacular Chinese influenced Nom script before the 20th century, and while literacy in these scripts during feudalistic times was restricted mostly to scholars, officials and other members of the elite, characters such as these have always played an aesthetic role on important occasions such as wedding

Vietnamese wedding song

Vietnamese wedding song


Đám Cưới Chúng Mình - Nguyễn Đức Quang
Đám Cưới Đầu Xuân - Trần Thiện Thanh
Em Đẹp Nhất Đêm Nay - nhạc Pháp
Hãy Yêu Nhau Đi - Trịnh Công Sơn
Lời Tỏ Tình Dễ Thương - Ngọc Sơn
Ra Giêng Anh Cưới Em
Ngày Tân Hôn - Phạm Duy
Đám Cưới Trên Đường Quê - Hoàng Thi Thơ
Anh - (biểu diễn bởi Trần Tâm/Mỹ Lệ)
Ngày Vui Bên Nhau
Ngày Vui Hai Đứa
Ngày Xuân Vui Cưới - Quốc Anh
Tơ Hồng - Nhất Sinh


Vietnamese wedding songs, be it the traditional wedding songs or the modern latest ones, are very popular and usually live wedding bands are present at most marriages that play the music on traditional musical instruments or modern equipment. Most of the Vietnamese wedding songs mp3 are available online for free download or one can listen to the music online on radio station. The traditional songs are much more famous than the new music and the lyrics are simple and fun and have rich meanings. The videos and clips too are available for free download or can be seen online for free.