Wedding Day

It was a long day for me, so no doubt it was much longer for the bride, groom, and both families. As mentioned in my previous post, there were three parts to the festivities: an asking for the bride session, photo taking, and then a reception. The asking for the bride session took place at the bride's house, with her family and friends gathered and waiting for him, his family, and his friends to arrive. After they did, there were some brief speeches before he went upstairs to ask her parents for their permission to take her home with him, and then some more thank you speeches. The bride lives in an older village section of Hanoi, where the streets are so narrow and windy that cars can't even pass. Thus, after the session, we all walked out of the village - which lent the session a much more traditional feel.

I can't say quite the same for the reception though! I found myself in what we essentially know as an "asian banquet" style reception. The food came out in waves, banquet style, with a selection of appetizers and main dishes. What perhaps was most striking about the wedding was how loud it was. There was music, song, or performances through basically the entire reception, and we're not talking mood music or ambiance performances. I was also struck by how quickly the thing wrapped up. Whole tables got up and left after the bridal party had visited their table and they had finished eating. I would say that within 10 minutes, 70% of the guests had left. The remaining stragglers stuck around for a bit longer, but the party wrapped up well within 2 hours.

Afterward, I was sad to learn that the more traditional things happened a week ago at the engagement party. Traditional dress for all the men and women, rented cyclos around town, and lots of traditional presents. If only I could have made it to Hanoi a week earlier!