Vietnamese Wedding
to take several gifts which will be given to the bride's parents when the groom requesting the permission of the parents. There will be 5 gifts taken to bride's house. Each present were put inside a red (simbolizing luck) pan. The first one is filled with sticky rice (a red one), then the other four is each filled with rice wine, smoked pork, smoked chicken paste, and the smallest pan held a pair of wedding rings. The first four pans have to be carried by man, and the one with wedding rings will be carried by the groom. When we arrived in Neville's apartment, the pan was open. The lid was put on top by the groom, then a red cloth is put on top of it, then we are ready to go. I managed to take picture of the four carrier hehehe just before we left (from left to right: Adam in kilt, Olli, Daniele, Neville and Martin, Neville's brother in law).
Soon as we arrived in the bride's house, we were greeted by 
Hang's sisters (4 sisters!!!). Hang has 4 sisters and 1 brother, his brother was acting as our interpreter, so he was with us since we were still in Neville's apartment. Then the men gave all of the presents except the groom who was still helding the small pan with wedding rings inside. We were the seated inside the house and served with tea.
Then Hang's brother who acted as interpreter, introduced all 
of us by name and our relation to Neville, the groom, to Hang's family and vice versa - Hang's family was intoduced to us by a representative of her family. Neville's parents cannot make it to fly to Vietnam due to health reason, thus his sister (Colleen) and his brother in law (Martin) was representing his parents. Neville was then called to stand and gave some words. He was then asking permition to Hang's parents to marry Hang and bringing her forever with him. The answer was given by Hang's dad. He said, he's happy with Neville being part of the family but he needs to make sure Hang is accepting the proposal. After Hang's dad answering, Neville serving a rice wine for Hang's family to convinced them he can take a good care of every family member and not only taking Hang away from them.
The rice wine serving was followed by Colleen opening the 
rest of the presents. Hang's parents seem to be convinced, then her mom said "I'll get Hang for you". Then she went inside and coming out with Hang on her side...all of these was done with Vietnamese music in the background. Then Hang's dad light a candle on top of the temple and followed by Hang's mom and the couple praying in front of the temple.
The praying was then followed by rice wine serving by both the groom and the bride to the other family member (aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, ...... and so many other people). After each serving, all the family members gave them the permission plus a red envelope with money inside. Soon as this ceremony finished, the couple is officially married religiously (the civil registry was already done 6 months earlier).
Then we all going home carrying Hang hehehehehe....before we went home, the bride's family gave back the pan (empty). We had several photo session with Hang's family and at the end of the photo session, I took a picture of Hang (with a big smile on her face) and some of the red envelopes (money, money, money) she got. Neville hide the rest of them inside Hang's purse. I caught 
him on camera hiding the purse behind his back. We cheered for a long life and happy marriage for the couple and went home to prepare the reception the night after.
