After nearly two years of preparation, a Hanoi woman finally had the wedding she had always imagined - an elegant ceremony in Seoul that lasted just 30 minutes.
Nguyen My Linh, born in 1997 in Hanoi, met Lee Sang Jik, a South Korean police officer born in 1996, while studying and working in South Korea. After five years together, the couple decided to get married.
They held a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony in Vietnam in late 2025 before celebrating a second wedding in Seoul in June 2026. The Korean ceremony, attended by nearly 200 guests, left a lasting impression on both families.
A promise she never forgot
Nguyen My Linh and Lee Sang Jik celebrate their wedding in Seoul after years of planning.
Linh said the couple began discussing their wedding plans in late 2024. At the time, her future husband made a promise she still remembers clearly.
"He told me, 'I want you to have a wedding that, whenever you look back on it, you will still feel like the happiest bride in the world.' He truly did everything he could to make that happen," she said.
Having attended several Korean weddings before, Linh admired their understated elegance and warm atmosphere.
"I always dreamed of a beautiful venue filled with flowers and natural light where everyone could genuinely enjoy the celebration. Thankfully, we were able to create exactly that," she said.
The couple chose a well-known hotel in Seoul, a venue that is almost fully booked throughout the year. Securing their preferred date required planning far in advance.
They first contacted the hotel nearly two years before the wedding. Six months later, they were finally invited to choose available dates and were required to confirm their booking one year ahead of the ceremony.
During the lengthy preparation process, they carefully planned every detail, from wedding attire and videography to music, decoration and guest arrangements.
"There were moments when I felt overwhelmed because there was simply so much to organise," Linh recalled.
A wedding ceremony that lasted only 30 minutes
Despite nearly two years of preparation, the ceremony itself lasted just 30 minutes, something that surprised Linh and her family.
During the half-hour celebration, the couple and their families completed a series of traditional wedding moments. The mothers of the bride and groom lit ceremonial candles, Linh was escorted down the aisle by her father, the couple exchanged vows, and the groom's father delivered a congratulatory speech before performing a song for the newlyweds.
The ceremony concluded with greetings to guests and a group photograph.
"Everything happened very quickly, but thanks to the professionalism of the organisers, the programme flowed smoothly and never felt rushed," Linh said.
After the ceremony, guests moved to a separate banquet hall for a one-hour reception before the venue prepared for the next wedding.
Many members of the bride's family were astonished by the pace of the celebration.
"They kept asking, 'Was the wedding really only 30 minutes?' and 'You spent two years preparing for a ceremony that lasted half an hour?'" Linh said with a smile.
Yet after experiencing it firsthand, many agreed that the event was elegant, polished and professionally organised despite its short duration.
For Linh, every moment felt meaningful.
She treasures the memory of walking down the aisle with her father, exchanging vows beneath a canopy of flowers and natural light, and bowing in gratitude to both sets of parents.
One of the most emotional moments came when her father-in-law read a letter of blessing and performed a song on guitar for the couple.
"I was deeply moved," Linh said. "At that moment, I realised I had not only married a wonderful husband but had also gained a family that truly loves and cares for me."
The couple chose a flower-filled venue with abundant natural light for their Korean wedding ceremony.Family members from both sides gathered to celebrate the couple's marriage in Seoul.
A relationship built on trust
Linh and Sang Jik first met in 2021 through mutual friends.
The Hanoi native said she was drawn to the Korean police officer because he made her feel safe and supported.
"With him, I can always be myself," she said. "Over the years, he has respected and supported every decision I have made, which made living abroad much easier and happier."
Their relationship received strong support from both families.
Although Linh's parents initially worried about cultural and language differences, they were reassured after getting to know Sang Jik personally.
"They saw that he was sincere, respectful and kind, so they felt comfortable entrusting their daughter to him," she said.
Sang Jik's parents also welcomed her from the beginning and treated her like a daughter.
"Having both families there to witness and bless our marriage made the wedding feel truly complete," Linh said.
Vietnamnet.vn
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