Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony

Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony with Christina & Sandar

I had the pleasure of being part of a Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony with Christina, Sandar and both of their families a few weeks ago. We met up at Christina’s parents house. The house was bustling with activity. Family and friends filled the living room. A feast had been prepared and was outside on the patio area. Shortly after I got there, a group of people moved outside to get ready for the procession.

The Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony Procession

During the ceremony the tradition is that the groom to be with his family travels to the house of his fiance with gifts. Sandar and his family started organizing people around the block of Christina’s parents house. They created a procession line of people carrying all kinds of gifts, including a roasted pig. Everything was wrapped in red making the line of people and gifts vibrant and colorful.

They all started walking in a long line with Sandar and his parents towards the front. Christina’s parents welcomed them into the house. They then all entered into the house, placing the gifts on a table as the family gathered together.

Ceremony Details

The officiant of the ceremony introduced all the family members on both sides. Both Sandar’s father and Christina’s father took turns speaking. They spoke about how happy they were for their families to grow together. More gifts were exchanged for the couple from family, and Sandar also gave Christina her engagement ring.

A tea ceremony concluded this Vietnamese engagement ceremony. Their parents and grandparents sat on chairs draped with vibrant red fabric as Christina and Sandar served each one of them tea. As someone who’s never been part of this type of ceremony, it was beautiful to see the level of respect and love in this tradition.

Couple Portraits after the Ceremony

After the ceremony was over I was able to take Christina and Sandar to a nearby park for some couple portraits. We had a group of animals photo bomb our portrait session. It was a mamma duck and her ducklings which was super cute. Animals are something that Christina loves, so that brought a smile to her face. We walked through the park and along a trail with just the two of them. It was nice to have a few minutes of quiet among all the commotion.

Thanks Christina & Sandar!

Christina & Sandar, thanks for entrusting me to capture this engagement ceremony for you! It was a pleasure to be part of the tradition with both of your families. I hope you had a wonderful time in Colorado even if there was some late snow. I wish you two much love and happiness. Congratulations!!