Brice, born in 1985 and a French national, has lived and worked in Vietnam for more than 15 years as a researcher specializing in food systems. He currently lives in Hanoi.

Beautiful landscapes and a vibrant pace of life are among the reasons Brice has stayed in Vietnam. After meeting his partner, contemporary artist Hong Ngoc, born in 1989 in Pho Yen Ward, Thai Nguyen Province, he began to see the country as his second home.

In 2020, after returning to Hanoi following several years of working in HCMC, Ngoc met Brice through a mutual friend. Her first visit to his home at Christmas left a lasting impression. His lakeside house was neat, cozy and welcoming.

"That day, I was casually looking around. When he noticed, he came over and asked me, 'Are you okay?' I was surprised by how observant and attentive he was. When I left, I forgot my coat at his house. That gave us a reason to meet a second time - so I could come back and pick it up," Ngoc recalled.

Both having been through previous life experiences, they soon realized they were a good match. There was no intense pursuit or dramatic courtship. Their relationship grew through gentle acts of care and helping each other navigate their careers.

Ngoc was particularly surprised that her boyfriend would often remind her to care more about family and friends and to be willing to give more to others.

Brice, however, was rather indifferent to marriage. He believed that as long as two people could live harmoniously together, love each other and take good care of one another, that was enough.

Ngoc felt differently. As their relationship grew deeper, she wanted them to officially register their marriage and hold a wedding ceremony to strengthen their bond. During their six years together, she brought up the idea of getting married once every year, even as her boyfriend kept putting it off.

"Then his younger brother got married last year, and he realized that he, too, should have a wedding to mark an important milestone in his life," Ngoc said.

Horse-drawn carriages 

The couple held their engagement ceremony and wedding on the same day in Thai Nguyen in July 2026. Two days later, they held an intimate wedding ceremony at a homestay in Hanoi. They spent a year preparing for the big day.

During that year, Ngoc and Brice drew up a detailed itinerary for friends from around the world traveling to Vietnam for the wedding. They also carefully prepared their outfits, venue and schedule for the wedding day.

Brice also took the time to learn about Vietnamese wedding traditions, hoping to show respect for the bride's family and make the ceremonies meaningful and complete.

Nguyen Lan Huong, Ngoc's mother from Thai Nguyen, said that because Brice loved Vietnamese culture, he had wanted the engagement ceremony to showcase traditional Vietnamese customs. Instead of traveling by car, he initially wanted to use buffalo-drawn carts to carry the engagement gifts to the bride's family home.

"I also wanted my daughter's engagement ceremony to preserve traditional beauty, so I supported my son-in-law's idea. However, I couldn't find any buffaloes to borrow, so we replaced them with horse-drawn carriages," Huong said.

Huong borrowed three horses and three carts from villagers, then had curtains sewn and decorated the carriages with flowers and other distinctive ornaments.

On the morning of July 16, the French groom and 70 family members and friends traveled by car from Hanoi to Thai Nguyen. At a stopping point about 500 meters from the bride's home, the groom climbed onto the first horse-drawn carriage, followed by two others carrying seven trays of traditional engagement gifts, as the entire procession made its way to the bride's house for the ceremony.

"What surprised me was that everyone in the groom's procession wore traditional ao dai. The engagement ceremony felt like a village festival. Everyone was happy and excited to watch," Huong recalled.

After the ancestral ceremony, the bride and groom climbed back onto the horse-drawn carriage and, together with both families, traveled to a cultural center 500 meters away for the wedding reception. Huong prepared 40 tables of food and invited relatives and neighbors to celebrate. She was delighted to see so many people turn up to congratulate the young couple.

Thanh Minh