FEMININE

I got to know Mai back when I was working in Vietnam. She is bubbly, intelligent and.. loves being in front of cameras! We went to the biggest lake in Hanoi, the Western Lake, in its lotus season to take some shots of her. You can imagine how much fun we had regardless of the humid and scorching weather in VN, my nifty-fifty couldn't take its glass off her.

 

LINH + HIEU

 VIETNAMESE ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING

What I love most in the traditional Vietnamese engagement and wedding is the attire. The bride-to-be wears ao dai, a tight fitting silk tunic worn with pantaloons (usually in red and gold tones). "Symbolically, the ao dai invokes nostalgia and timelessness associated with a gendered image of the homeland..", wrote Nhi T. Lieu. (I had ao dai on for our formal engagement party too :p) Nowadays, the Vietnamese brides choose to wear ao dai only during the engagement, and the Western style white wedding gown for the reception. Before the wedding, the groom and his family has to come over to the bride's home to ask for her parents' permission to receive the bride. This ritual usually goes together with many gifts for the bride's family such as: betel nuts, fruits, cakes..

It is a beautiful tradition that is still practised in many Vietnamese homes. But I guess it doesn't matter how well you are dressed or how many presents you want to give, it's all about mutual respect, acceptance and love that a marriage can last, after all.

ENGAGEMENT