After spending a decade building a life together, a Taiwanese groom in his late 60s and his Vietnamese wife finally celebrated the wedding they had long dreamed of, surrounded by children, relatives and friends in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.
Love found after life's setbacks
Ten years ago, Gan Liang Yu, now 68, from Taiwan (China), and Pham Thi Be Muoi, now 53, from Quoi An Commune in Vinh Long Province, met under difficult circumstances.
Both had experienced failed marriages. Gan had two adult daughters, while Be Muoi was raising a 14-year-old daughter on her own.
Facing financial hardship, Be Muoi left her daughter in the care of her parents in Vietnam and traveled to Taiwan to work, sending money home to support her child.
Gan Liang Yu and Pham Thi Be Muoi.
One day at work, she noticed Gan walking with a young relative about the same age as her own daughter. Overcome with homesickness, she burst into tears. Seeing her distress, Gan approached to ask what had happened.
As they shared stories about their families, personal struggles and painful pasts, the two discovered a deep sense of understanding. That friendship gradually grew into love, and they decided to build a future together.
"At that time, my parents faced many financial constraints, so they simply began living together instead of holding a wedding ceremony," said Nguyen My Huyen, 24, Be Muoi's daughter. "My parents lived in Taiwan while I stayed in Vietnam with my grandparents. Even so, they came home often and always took good care of me. For the past 10 years, I've called my stepfather 'Dad' with genuine love and respect."
After a decade of sharing their lives and raising their family together, the couple decided the time was finally right to hold their wedding, which took place on July 28 in Be Muoi's hometown in Vinh Long.
"For all of us, this was the perfect moment to celebrate their marriage," Huyen said.
A wedding built on gratitude and tradition
Nguyen My Huyen with her mother and stepfather.
When Huyen learned about her parents' decision, she immediately volunteered to organize the celebration.
She handled nearly every detail of the ceremony, from preparing the guest list and sending invitations to arranging the wedding tent and organizing the reception. About two weeks before the wedding, her mother and stepfather returned to Vietnam to complete the remaining preparations.
Determined to honor Vietnamese traditions, Gan prepared six ceremonial gift trays, along with additional offerings in accordance with local customs.
Throughout the planning process, he carefully learned the customs and rituals of a traditional Vietnamese wedding to ensure everything was conducted properly.
On the wedding day, Gan and the groom's party gathered at a nearby café before walking approximately 500 meters to the bride's family home carrying the ceremonial gifts.
Representing the bride's family were Be Muoi's maternal uncle, elder sister and brother-in-law, who officiated the formal exchange between the two families.
Relatives, neighbors and friends gathered to celebrate the couple's long-awaited union.
"Our wedding included every traditional ceremony," Huyen recalled. "My father presented the engagement gifts, then he and my mother paid respects to our ancestors before receiving blessings from both families."
"The moment my aunt - my mother's older sister - held my mother's hand and entrusted her to my father was the most emotional part for me. After all these years, my mother finally had the complete wedding she deserved," she said.
Although the celebration was modest, Huyen said it was deeply meaningful.
Watching her parents smile throughout the day convinced her that every effort she had made to prepare the wedding had been worthwhile.
A decade of devotion rewarded
The groom joins the traditional wedding procession to the bride's home.
Traditional Vietnamese wedding rituals were observed during the ceremony.Huyen says she is overjoyed that her mother has finally found lasting happiness.
During the ceremony, Gan thanked his bride for standing by his side through the years.
"'Thank you for coming into my life, for sacrificing so much, for taking care of me, and for giving me such a kind and loving daughter,' my father told my mother," Huyen said.
Her mother responded with equal emotion: 'I'm so happy to have you beside me. Thank you for taking care of my daughter and me, and for always protecting us."
"Those simple words showed me just how deeply they love each other," Huyen said.
Over the past decade, she has witnessed their unwavering commitment through everyday acts of care - from preparing meals to looking after one another whenever illness struck.
Like any couple, they occasionally disagreed, but Gan was usually the first to make peace.
Several years ago, he survived a life-threatening accident.
"My mother never gave up on him," Huyen recalled. "She cared for him every day, believing he would recover - and he did. My parents endured many hardships before reaching the happiness they have today. As their daughter, I feel incredibly grateful that they found each other and can now enjoy this happiness together in the later years of their lives."
Vietnamnet.vn
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