Franz ElizLast November, my friends Mai and Igor invited me to their wedding. It surprised me as I didn’t expect to attend a wedding when I planned my trip to Vietnam. Since the wedding took place the weekend before my flight back to Malaysia, I thought, ‘Why not’?
Indeed, I was happy to attend their wedding; furthermore, it was the first wedding I had ever participated in Vietnam or abroad.
I didn’t need to worry about transportation to the wedding venue since Igor chartered a bus for all guests travelling from Hanoi to Thanh Hóa, a city about 3 hours away. The wedding was held at Mai’s home in the Thanh Hóa countryside.
A Day Before the Wedding: Icebreaker and Parties
Igor invited his friends (including me) to his wedding, and a day before Igor’s big day, we boarded the bus from Rice City (yes, that’s a legit place) to Thanh Hóa together. There, I met Igor’s friends, Igor, Kat, and Alex, for the first time.
Mai returned to her hometown a week earlier to help her family with the wedding preparations.
She waited for us to arrive, and when we finally did, she brought us to a lovely local restaurant not far from her place for lunch. We had an indoor bbq and some drinks.
After that, we visited Mai’s home, where we met her family and relatives. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. There, we had local tea and some snacks.
Mai also made us some smoothies. As we enjoyed our drinks, the rest of the guests had a karaoke session outside the house. It was loud – the speakers for the sound system were huge. We then joined the others for the karaoke session.
Later, we had beef, chicken, shrimp, rice, and vegetables for dinner. Dinner was lovely. My favourite dish was the one with French beans.
After dinner, we danced to loud and catchy Vietnamese disco music outside the house. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Despite having beers served that night, most guests were pretty sober.
After the party, we checked into a nearby hotel, where we spent only a couple of hours of sleep before the wedding day. Some of us managed to watch a FIFA match before bed. Overall, it was a good day.
Igor and Mai’s Wedding Day
We had to be at the wedding at about 8 am on the wedding day. The chartered bus took us to the wedding venue. By the time we arrived, most guests had already arrived. From afar, we could hear the speakers blasting loud Vietnamese and English music. I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never been to a wedding this early’. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever come across loudspeakers playing so early in the morning.
It was indeed a unique experience for me. Playing loudspeakers this early in Malaysia (especially in the village) would’ve upset many people.
Igor’s favourite song must be AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’. He requested the song to be his wedding entrance music. It made me laugh so hard. I thought it was bizarre – but I loved it. It wasn’t something I’d see in weddings, in general. For that reason, it’s a wedding moment I won’t forget.
At the wedding, we sat at a table meant for Mai and Igor’s families. Since Igor’s family couldn’t attend the wedding, we (Igor, Kat, Alex, and I) sat at the table with Mai’s family instead. Alex made a speech on behalf of Igor’s parents and family and represented them in the gift exchange ceremony.
After the tea and gift exchange ceremony, we proceeded to the next ceremony involving cutting the wedding cake, pouring champagne, and exchanging more gifts.
Lunch was the last wedding activity of the day. The food was delicious: we had meat, seafood, and more. Most guests left the wedding after lunch. As for us, we decided to stay a little longer before making our way back to Hanoi.
I uploaded the wedding footage to my YouTube channel. Check it out if you’re interested in watching it:
Summary
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Thank you to Mai and Igor for inviting me. It was my first time at a Vietnamese wedding, and I enjoyed myself. Apart from getting to know Mai’s family, I also had the opportunity to make new friends.
You see, travelling isn’t always about visiting tourist attractions. It could mean visiting the countryside or attending a local wedding.
