(PICTURE: The happy couple on stage with their MC.)
Congratulations to our friend Van and her husband Bien who got married this past weekend!
Technically this was their THIRD wedding since they each already had had a reception in their home towns. Their "Hanoi wedding" was located at a really nice restaurant next to Independence Park.
It was great to celebrate with Van especially because many of my old Vietnamese coworkers from Language Link were in attendance. Many of the girls who used to work at LL have now moved on to other jobs. Everyone is so busy these days that it takes a wedding for us all to get together. Actually, my friend Tam was in attendance too; she was the girl who got married back in January and was the last time the whole crew got together. In pure Vietnamese style, Tam was eating for two at this wedding as she's three months pregnant. The over/under in Vegas is that Van will be joining the motherhood sorority in the next year. You see, that's how things work here in Vietnam. I swear, this is a typical time table for many weddings I've been to:
Step 1: A couple dates for 6 months.
Step 2: A couple gets married.
Step 3: A couple says they'll wait a year to get pregnant...
Step 4: ...but is pregnant within a few months of tying the knot.
Huyen and I have known a lot of couples who have started to date wayyyyyy after us and already have children. Our nearly 2.5 years of dating is considered an anomaly out here.
Anyway, congrats to Van and Bien. Van is by far one of the best people I've met in Vietnam and I wish her nothing but a lifetime of happiness!
(PICTURE: The soon-t0-be married couple with the now-married couple.*)
* The irony of this statement is funny to me. Technically Huyen and I are legally married but haven't had our celebration yet which is in December. Van and Bien have had their celebration (three already) but most likely are not legally married yet as most Vietnamese don't take this step immediately.
