Le Dam Hoi: A Vietnamese Engagement

So the blogging has definitely decreased in recent weeks. Things have consumed our lives to say the least! Work, being the most consuming parts of our life, only seems to get more and more in the way of this wedding planning and enjoying the engagement. Deadlines, quotas, meetings and the like always seem untimely -but work's paying the bills, so I truly cannot complain -if anything, we're blessed to have such wonderful jobs that we both love and enjoy.

Enough about work! Let's move on to what had taken so much of our time...our Engagement ceremony!

That's right. Last weekend we held our formal Vietnamese engagement ceremony called Le Dam Hoi at my parents' home in Temecula. We also were able to get some traditional Indian portions of our engagement as well.

So what's this about a ceremony for an engagement you ask? For the soon-to-be bride, it is oftentimes more important than the wedding itself. The families see it as an official coming out for the couple. This is traditionally the first time the families will meet. The soon-to-be groom and his family will come to the bride's family home bearing gifts wrapped in red (typically tea, sweets, fruits, wine, dowry, and a roasted pig). The groom's family offers these gifts to the bride's family as they walk into the house and the bride's family will then examine and chose whether or not to accept the gifts. The families will then introduce vital members of the family be it parents sisters, brothers, grandparents, or cousins, aunts and uncles.

The Groom's parents or a representative from the groom's side of the family will then formally ask the bride's family for the bride's hand in marriage. They will ask that they be accepted into the bride's family. Once the bride's family accepts, it's official! the couple are promised to be married and from that point on are committed to one another forever! Afterwards, there is a reception that follows that is offered by the bride's family and the gifts brought by the groom's family is split in half. The bride's family will keep half and the other half is shared with their new addition, the groom's family!

Below are some pictures of our ceremony. It was an amazing moment in our life and all the stress that led up to it was really put to rest that day. Everyone had a wonderful time as did we. We can't wait for the wedding now!