Wedding traditions of Hanoi
A Vietnamese wedding city of betel and areca gifts, lacquered trays and the ao dai.
A Hanoi wedding has two main steps: the engagement, an dam hoi, where the groom's family brings gifts to the bride's home, and the wedding itself, le cuoi, with a procession and ancestor altar rite.
A wedding here
The groom's family arrives with trays of gifts wrapped in red cloth and carried by unmarried young people. Betel leaves and areca nuts, tea, sweets and fruit are common. The couple bow before the family altar and offer incense to the ancestors before the reception.
Where weddings happen
Family homes for the rites, and restaurants or hotel halls for receptions. The Old Quarter has long had shops for wedding goods.
The season and the calendar
Families check the lunar calendar for a good day and hour. Many weddings take place from October to January. The seventh lunar month, considered a time of wandering spirits, is usually avoided.
Wedding customs of Hanoi
Also part of it, and being written: Vietnamese wedding (The rites and gifts.), Ao dai (The long dress worn by brides.), Betel (A leaf and nut offering associated with marriage.), Tea ceremony (Offered to elders.), Ancestor veneration (The family altar.).
A wedding trail idea for Hanoi
- Hang Gai Street A silk and tailoring street in the Old Quarter.
- Hang Bac Street A traditional silver and jewellery street.
- Hoan Kiem Lake A popular place for wedding photographs.
- Dong Xuan Market A big wholesale market.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new traditions are written every day.