Big Fat Vietnamese Wedding

This past weekend we were invited to my teaching assistant's wedding. It was a rare opportunity for our expat world to overlap with local culture so we were excited. To call it a wedding is misleading. It was really more of a party. The ceremony happened the day before and this was a chance to celebrate with a much larger group.

The celebration took place in a massive restaurant with a stage in front and probably 50-60 tables with 10-15 people at each one. Small by VN wedding standards I hear. Next to each table were three cases of Heineken and two cases of Coke. The festivities began at exactly 7pm as all the lights went out and the fog machines kicked into action. Loud music pumped through the huge speakers and green laser lights flickered everywhere. Then this man in a silver suit got on stage to confetti cannons and said some words to get the crowd pumped up.

Following this, the bride's father sang a Karaoke song and some women did a fan dance. Then the bride and groom were welcomed on stage to the Wedding March with spotlights cruising around the room and more fog and confetti. All the time, our boys had their fingers in their ears.

Then it was time for the red champagne and the dry ice pyramid of course.

Fortunately, Colin was with two of his best friends. (Obviously, Colin's choice in friends is only assuring his invitation to many more parties in the future.)

After all the Karaoke I was asked by another SSIS staff member and local, to go table by table leading toasts. I was excited about this prospect as I would get to meet more people and pass around good cheer. What he did NOT tell me was that, at every table we would, after yelling "Mot, Hai, Ba, YO!" (1, 2, 3, Yo!) be expected to finish our beers. "100%!" he kept saying. I did my best to get to as many tables as possible but had to sit down after...a few.

The evening ended with some dancing on stage (below is Colin on the shoulders of the school bus driver and my Mot, Hai, Ba, Yo! partner. Colin looks happier in this photo than he actually was I think.)

When we left, both boys said they were not interested in getting married.

It was a fun evening and something to try, maybe once, for sure. We wish Ms. Ngan and her husband the very best and were honored to be included in this party.