We are truly in awe of weddings that achieve that perfect balance between meaningful tradition and modern design, and this one, dear GWS Readers, really blew us away.
Nhu + Long’s multi-event wedding in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam caught our attention at first because of its JAW DROPPING contemporary ceremony + reception at Gem Center. But the way they incorporated Vietnamese wedding traditions is so moving: design + culture beautifully intertwined.
The couple held their Lễ Vu Quy (wedding ceremony at the bride’s home) at Nhu’s grandfather’s house. Vibrant reds — traditionally bridal — were balanced by soft blues, artful cranes graced the walls, and the Đồng Tâm knot functioned as a symbol of the wedding’s central concept: Vĩnh Kết Đồng Tâm (Eternal Unity).
Then, the modern ceremony + reception were all ivory drapery, immersive floral arrangements, floating flower garland, and curvy statement aisles. Overall elegance in classic b+w was complemented by ambitious sculptural arrangements in shades of grassy greens, earthy browns, and blush pinks. It had all the romance of a long-awaited wedding day (15 years in the making!!) and all the editorial vision of a runway show.
Event designers from Royal Swans Event and planners from The F Lab realized Nhu + Long’s dreams of a celebration that felt “deeply and authentically them,” leaning into both the traditional and the cutting-edge in equal measure.
Pictures by Nukia Studio do such a brilliant job of telling the whole wedding weekend story. Let’s take a look!
Lễ Vu Quy
“The design is rooted in traditional Eastern culture, with the Đồng Tâm knot as its central motif,” says the couple of how Vĩnh Kết Đồng Tâm (Eternal Unity) functioned as the celebration’s central theme. “This symbolic knot represents an enduring bond—two souls united in purpose, moving in harmony through every joy and hardship, aligned in every path and decision throughout life.”
“The walls were envisioned as a large-scale mural of dancing cranes. In Eastern culture, cranes symbolize longevity, grace, and good fortune; their dance further embodies fidelity and happiness. Centering the Đồng Tâm symbol within this composition of cranes deepens the meaning of unity and blessing.”
“In terms of palette, multiple color directions were explored across two rounds of mood boards before the bride selected a refined combination of muted blue and red. The balance is intentional—deeply traditional yet subtly contrasted. The blue introduces a sense of calm freshness, gently softening and elevating the richness of the cultural setting.”
“We chose my Grandfather’s house to be the place of our Lễ Vu Quy because I have spent most of my time there since I was a child,” bride Nhu shares. “It is also the place where our big family has all the traditional celebrations.”
“We wanted our guests to experience the beauty of Vietnamese wedding traditions,” Nhu + Long say. “Many of our guests traveled from far away and had never really been exposed to this part of our culture, so it was important to us that they could witness and feel it for themselves.”
“We wanted them to see the two families coming together in a family home, the groom’s family bringing gifts to the bride’s home as a gesture of respect, everyone dressed in their most beautiful traditional áo dài, and relatives and friends offering blessings and gifts to wish us luck, happiness, and a beautiful journey ahead.”
The Celebration Continues
Throughout the weekend, Nhu rocked SO MANY stunning bridal looks, including some from Lalin and from FALVAON by LƯU VIỆT ANH, which she paired with shoes from Bottega Veneta and Loewe.
Eric Nguyễn styled Nhu’s romantic waves, and Quí Đoàn did this soft, feminine wedding makeup. Also, we’re obsessed with these delicate knotted accessories from Van Cleef & Arples — as well as that RING (!!) by Boucheron.
A Space Transformed
We have a whole list of 8 Reasons Why We Love A Wedding First Look, and the chance to capture jaw-dropping cinematic photos of the moment like this one? Definitely one of them.
Okay, we are SO STUNNED by this immersive, ethereal-yet-modern ceremony design. Ivories, whites, rich + vibrant greens. Velvet. Silk. Single stem roses. Nhu + Long’s 360 approach to the weekend’s aesthetics is one of the things that drew us to this wedding.
The floor-to-ceiling draping. The mossy hill-like floral sculptures. The FOG!! We are in awe.
Long’s classic tux from P. Hance Tailoring looked so sharp + timeless paired with shoes from PRADA.
Loving the way moss was used in these organic minimalist arrangements? Here are a couple mossy wedding day designs you need to see:
- Botanical Minimalism: The Earthy Yet Elevated Aesthetic Behind This Untamed Garden Wedding in Santorini
- This Opulent, Overgrown Parisian Wedding Was “An Ode to Intimacy”
Oh! And if it’s the ivory draping you’re loving, look to these three for even more inspo!!
- This Moody, Cinematic Wedding Combined Old Hollywood Glamour With Contemporary Design
- Western Luxe: This Refined Ranch Wedding Brought Modern Minimalism To a Cattle Farm in North Carolina
- Candles + Calla Lillies: These Drapery-Filled “I Do’s” Were an Ivory Dream
Wow. All we can say is wow wow wow.
The Contemporary Ceremony
“We wanted the celebration to feel deeply and authentically like us,” the couple says.
“From the décor, to the outfits, to the food we shared throughout the weekend, every part of the experience reflected our personal style, our habits, and the things we genuinely love.”
“More than anything, we wanted our guests to feel that this was not just a wedding…”
“…but a true reflection of who we are as a couple.”
The off-white-to-yellow color palette of these bridesmaid dresses?! Soft citrus genius.
A Reception Beneath Dangling Blooms
And just like that, Nhu + Long’s celebration went from one breathtaking hanging installation…
…to another 😍
These hydrangea-forward floral arrangements! We love to see couples embrace earthy browns as wedding colors.
Hanging floral garlands like these are one of our favorite floral trends of the moment. Bonus aura points to this setup for including those glowy floating candles.
Speaking of weddings that feature dangling blooms + blossoms:
- Silk + Tulips: A Stunningly Timeless Wedding in Palm Springs
- Intimate Dinner Party AND High Energy Reception: This Creative Two-Part Minnesota Wedding Had Its Own Custom Merch
- This Couple Tied the Knot in Thailand in an Effortlessly Elegant Coastal Garden Wedding
“We met 15 years ago, when we were just kids attending the same church in the same neighborhood,” says the couple of how their journey to “I do” began.
“Over the years, we went through a period of long-distance relationship, with one of us in the United States and the other in Vietnam.”
“Our relationship grew from something young and innocent, from the stage of ‘Does he like me?’ and ‘Does she like me?’, from giving each other teddy bears as a confession of a crush, and from following and unfollowing each other on social media, into something steady & deep.”
Shop This Bridal Vibe at Anthro Weddings
Ladies + gentlemen, the bridal genius of Jenny Yoo:
What could be sweeter than a Coca-Cola tower, you ask?
Why, a giant tiramisu as a wedding cake, of course!
Can’t get enough of the basque waist floral appliqué gown that Nhu chose as her second look.
Our Advice
From the bride: "The planning process was challenging and really fun to me. I got to meet many people from different vendors and learnt a lot from them. It was not easy to handle many special requests and last minute changes, but our planner team, The F Lab, always delivered the best quality. I just needed to tell my wedding planner - Chị Minh a random story or idea, then she would execute flawlessly. She understood our style, personality, and story very well. On top of that, she was always firm with her opinions on many things to make sure we didn’t spend too much on unnecessary things. Our planning team was truly a bespoke wedding planner, most of our guests left the 2 days event with 'This is the best wedding I/we ever attended, it was emotional, fun, intimate, and well-organized.'"
Congrats, Nhu + Long, on your gorgeous multi-event wedding weekend, from all of us at GWS!
And check out our fresh, shoppable collection of 47 Afterparty Dresses We Love to find your own post-reception mini-dress moment like Nhu’s!
Featured in This Wedding
Prada
Vivienne Westwood
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Other Vendors in This Wedding
Photography: Nukia Studio // Venue: Bride's Grandfather's Home // Event Design: Royal Swans Wedding & Event // Wedding Planner: The F Lab Wedding Planner // Wedding Dress: Danielle Frankel // Bride's Shoes: Bottega Veneta // Bride's Ring: Boucheron // Hair Stylist: Eric Nguyen // Makeup Artist: Qui Doan // Groom Attire: PHance Tailor // Videography: Nukia Studio // Accessories: Van Cleef & Arpels
