The sincerity and warmth of a neighborhood boy won over a young Hanoi woman. After a year of dating, the couple - whose houses stand just 10 meters apart - decided to marry, creating a wedding full of charm and laughter.
From childhood neighbors to soulmates
Over a month has passed since the wedding of Ngo Thi Van Anh (born 2004) and Le Ngoc Hoan (born 2000), but the event is still fondly remembered thanks to its amusing logistics and unexpected mix-ups.
Van Anh and Hoan grew up in the same alley in Hanoi, with their front gates nearly facing each other.
Despite being neighbors, the four-year age gap and Hoan’s studies and work away from home meant the two rarely interacted as children. Van Anh only knew of him as a kind and hardworking young man.
Their first real encounter came in November 2024, at a mutual friend’s wedding in the neighborhood.
“I used to sit with the kids at weddings,” Van Anh recalls. “But that time, I sat with the older group. For some reason, he came over to offer a drink. After one or two sips, I got tipsy and ended up leaning on his shoulder and falling asleep.”
That moment sparked an unusual connection, and Hoan began pursuing his younger neighbor.
Van Anh often worked late shifts, finishing around 10 p.m., but Hoan would patiently wait just to talk with her for five or ten minutes. He listened to her worries and made her feel secure and cared for.
“Back then, we were afraid of being seen by neighbors, so we’d meet at the alley’s entrance before heading out,” Van Anh laughed. “There was something cute about secretly dating the boy next door.”
From childhood neighbors to newlyweds - Van Anh and Ngoc Hoan celebrate love close to home.
After three months, Hoan confessed his feelings. Though unsure, Van Anh said yes.
Their parents were supportive, but Van Anh’s older brother strongly objected.
“My brother and Hoan had some misunderstanding from before. When he found out I was dating him, he said, ‘Date anyone but him.’ When I insisted, he said, ‘You can be neighborly friends, but don’t fall in love,’” she recounted.
Hurt but respectful of her brother’s wishes, Van Anh tried to end things.
However, Hoan was determined not to let their relationship fall apart over a misunderstanding. Every evening, he waited by her gate, hoping to explain. He even asked friends to help arrange meetings with her brother to smooth things over.
“Thanks to his persistence and sincerity, we eventually got my brother’s blessing,” said Van Anh.
The wedding tents of both families were set up just meters apart in the same alley.
In late October 2025, the couple tied the knot after one year of dating, and their wedding was as unique as their love story.
Since the alley was wide enough, both families received permission from neighbors to set up wedding tents right outside their homes - just 10 meters apart.
To avoid confusion, they built the two wedding stages side by side but placed the entrances facing opposite directions.
“That way, when it came time to bring the bride over, the procession could go the long way,” Van Anh joked. “If we just walked from gate to gate, the ceremony would be over in under a minute.”
Despite hiring two different decorators, the tents ended up looking nearly identical, with matching colors and designs. To help guests differentiate, each tent had a large sign: “Groom’s house” and “Bride’s house.”
A humorous and heartwarming celebration for the neighborhood couple. Photos courtesy of the couple
Still, mix-ups were unavoidable.
Van Anh’s family hosted their banquet the afternoon before, while Hoan’s family welcomed guests the following morning.
“People kept walking into the wrong tent the next day and wondering where the food was,” she said.
Even the catering team got confused. “They brought all the groom’s food to the bride’s tent by mistake, then scrambled to move it back once they realized.”
Guests were in stitches. Laughter echoed through the alley all day.
During the ceremony, Van Anh heard countless jokes about “marrying far away.”
“Our relatives said stuff like, ‘We brought motion sickness pills for the bride’s journey to her new home, but she just walked across the street.’ Others teased, ‘When daughters marry this far away, parents cry rivers of tears from missing them,’” she laughed.
Van Anh herself had imagined a tearful send-off from her family. Instead, the moment was filled with joy and laughter.
Now living at her husband’s house, she says it barely feels like she’s moved at all.
“I go to my parents’ place ten times a day. If I’m missing an ingredient while cooking, I just pop over and borrow it. Every evening, I still gather around their dinner table.”
For this young bride from Hanoi, marrying the boy next door has been the best gift of all.
Vietnamnet.vn
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