Him Lam Palace Wedding Centre in Ho Chi Minh City wed 40 couples with disabilities in a group ceremony called “Thap sang yeu thuong – Ven tron hanh phuc” (Lighting up love – fulfilling happiness) on October 20.

Sponsored by the City’s Education and Employment Association and the HCM City Association for the Support of People with Disabilities and Orphans (HASPDO), the event was held to help the couples overcome their difficulties and build better lives.

According to a representative from the HCM City Education and Employment Association, more than 10 of the brides and grooms were blind. The organising board initially planned to hold a joint wedding ceremony for 20 couples, but the number doubled.

The event cost 600 million VND (27,300 USD), and the organising board mobilised an additional 7 million VND (318 USD) for each participating couple.

The couples were each given a pair of rings, wedding clothes, flowers, make up, wedding photos, a dinner banquet for the couples’ families and gifts from benefactors.

Statistics from the Centre for Disability Research and Capacity Development show that Vietnam has around 6.7 million people with disabilities, including nearly 90,000 in Hanoi and 70,000 in HCM City.

Mr. Tran Van Minh, 57, in District 10, HCM City is a motorbike taxi driver and Mrs. Hua Thi Kieu Hanh, 52, a disabled couple who have been living together for 30 years. This is one of the 40 couples of the group wedding ceremony for the disabled, held in HCM City on October 20th. The couple has three children. "We are very happy. Thirty years ago we could not hold a wedding ceremony. I did not expect to wear a bridal gown at this age,” said Mrs. Hanh. Most couples have lived together for many years but could not afford to organize the wedding. Earlier, they took photos in wedding dress. The group wedding ceremony was held by the HCM City Association for Occupational Education for visual and hearing-impaired people and those with limb defects. They are blind, deaf or disabled. Mr. Van Luong and Mrs. Thu Dao are lottery ticket sellers. They have been living together for three years. Some couples took their children to the wedding ceremony.  The special "hand-shake". Many couples have never seen the face of their spouse.

Photo: Zing