I feel so honored to have gotten to capture Dieu & Eric’s traditional Vietnamese engagement ceremony.  In Vietnamese culture, this ceremony is when the bride’s family gives approval to the groom to marry their daughter.  It is also when it is agreed upon that the bride may change her last name after the wedding.

At the start of the ceremony, Eric’s family carried in gifts to present to Dieu’s mom, who traveled here from Vietnam to attend this special occasion.  The traditional gifts included “Trau cau,” (green fruits & leaves), fruits, cake/biscuits, and tea.  They used these gifts to pray for love, happiness, wealth, sweetness, loyalty, and compromise in their relationship.  After Dieu’s mom’s approval, Eric went to fetch his bride.  The bride & groom then took turns pouring tea for the other’s mother, as a “thank you” for agreeing to their union.  Finally, Eric’s family presented traditional American gifts to Dieu’s family: something old, something new, something borrowed, & something blue.

Their ceremony was joyous and touching, and the happy couple feels blessed to have honored both of their cultures. After the ceremony, they invited me into their home to eat traditional Vietnamese food & celebrate, and their hospitality & generosity meant the world to me.  I feel incredibly blessed that my job as a photographer connects me to such kindhearted people that I may never have met otherwise.

Dieu & Eric’s wedding took place at Ashford Manor last weekend, and I couldn’t be happier for them as they start their lives together as husband and wife.