Vietnam Wedding Traditions & Ceremonies
A researched guide to 6 traditional wedding ceremonies from 3 cultural traditions in Vietnam.
Kinh (Vietnamese majority)
Pre-wedding
Asking to Receive the Bride
The groom's family formally asks permission from the bride's family to receive the bride for the wedding.
Key elements
- Gift of betel nuts. Informal setting with snacks and drinks in modern times.
Engagement Ceremony (English)(Đám Hỏi)
𠸄𠎺An official announcement of the upcoming wedding, where the groom's family brings offerings to the bride's home.
Key elements
- Offerings (fruits, betel leaves, areca leaves, wine, tea, cakes, tobacco, jewelry, roasted pig) in odd-numbered lacquer boxes (mâm quả) covered in red cloth. Incense burning at ancestral altar. Bride receives engagement jewelry (ring, earrings, kièng). Attire: Áo dài or formal Western clothing.
Combing the Bride's Hair
The mother of the bride combs her daughter's hair as a symbol of their last moment together before marriage, offering advice on being a good wife and daughter-in-law.
Key elements
- Hair combing. Emotional moment, often marked with sadness. Represents strong mother-daughter bond.
Wedding day
Arrival at Bride's Home / Welcoming the Groom's Procession
The groom's procession arrives at the bride's home, fireworks are lit, and the bride's family welcomes them. Gifts are presented and unwrapped.
Key elements
- Fireworks, exchange of gifts (mâm quả), unwrapping of gifts. Groom bows to bride's parents and gives bride a bouquet of flowers.
Tay
Pre-wedding
Engagement
The two families decide on the wedding day and betrothal presents. The boy’s family must choose a good date.
Key elements
- Betrothal offerings (historically: 42 big banh day, 1 plate small banh day, 4 roosters, 4 hens, 2 plates sticky rice, 4kg pork, 2 bottles wine, 100 betel leaves, 12 areca nuts
- nowadays: VND 10 million, roast pig, 80kg pork, 2 roosters, 2 hens, 2 bottles wine, 2 cartons cigarettes, 100 betel leaves, 12 areca nuts, pipe tobacco, artocarpus tonkinensis tree bark). Marks official promise
- compensation for breaking pledge.
Thai
Pre-wedding
Engagement
The boy's family prepares betrothal offerings and visits the girl's family to finalize the engagement and agree on the wedding day.
Key elements
- Betrothal offerings: money, two roosters, 30kg rice, pig, 10L rice wine, cakes, sweets, fruits, sugar, betel leaves, areca nuts. Two baskets of offerings (one for girl's family, one for maternal family). Silver bracelets for the girl. Bride's family offers pillows, headdresses, cushions, fruits, cakes, sweets, tea, cigarettes to groom's family. Groom's family gives bride cloth for blankets/pillows.
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