Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We met in university while both working for a Biology department and have been friends ever since. Over time, we learned that our personalities are polar opposite and they actually complement each other.
Baovi is outgoing and passionate; these qualities combined with her drive and ambition inspire John. On the other hand, John is quiet, patient, and supportive, sometimes goofy and tells lame jokes and is easily entertained. Those qualities, along with the lame puns and insider jokes are what keeps our relationship going. Even though we are from New York, John’s family is from China and Baovi’s from Vietnam. We had a mini Vietnamese traditional ceremony a few days before our big day. After that, we flew to China so John’s relatives can celebrate with a Chinese tradtional ceremony as well. So in total, we have 3 ceremonies to accommodate all our cultures!
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the seeing, the styling and some of your favourite details…
We wanted to have an intimate destination wedding – we wanted to share our love for travelling. We chose Vietnam because John fell in love with the country on our first trip together and we both wanted to showcase what an amazing venue Vietnam would make. – For our styles, we wanted to keep it minimal with neutrals and let the venue speak for itself. The resort would have to be our favourite detail! It was absolutely stunning. We worked with the resort coordinator and our planners to make sure the guests have the best experience yet. We didn’t want it to be just a wedding – we wanted to show the landscape, the hospitality and a hidden gem that is Danang, Vietnam. – Since it was all about guests having the time of their life, we had details like a live orchestra playing during cocktail hours, or an international buffet bar for dinner. We also opted out the wedding cake for the dessert and drinks bar.
Tell us about your main outfits:
We decided to source most of our vendors locally, including the wedding dress. Since it’s a destination wedding, Baovi wants to avoid carrying the dress across the world. Baovi reached out to a local tailor and worked with them to create a wedding dress that shows her most true self. The designing process was a lot of fun as Baovi gets to be a big part in making the dress. Fun fact, she only tried on the dress 2 times before the special day. For John’s suit, it was a custom suit from Suit Supply. We decided to have a little competition with each other and design a suit each. Baovi’s design was chosen by John for their big day but John ended up with two custom suits that he loves a win-win situation!
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
We both LOVE the beach so we went swimming after breakfast. Baovi went up to her room when it was time to get ready while John was having too much fun with our cousins and friends. When Baovi was almost done getting ready, John was still nowhere to be found. Our planners started to worry and the resort staffs have to go looking for the groom. It turned out he was still playing beach volleyball with Baovi’s sisters (the bridesmaids) and his friends (the groomsmen) and forgot about his own wedding! It warms our hearts thinking about it, knowing that this happened because we were surrounded by people we truly enjoy being around. The memorable moments started from the day before when our family and friends from New York land in Danang, Vietnam. We were surrounded by our loved ones and were in still disbelief that everything we dream of was happening.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Focus on bringing the experience to your guests! Even though it was our special day, we want it to be special for everyone around us. We put our guests’ experience first since they flew out to Vietnam to celebrate with us!
Photography: Stuart Dudleston | Videography: Han Phan | Ceremony and Reception: Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort | Celebrant: Leanne Summers | Bride’s gown: Custom Hacchic Couture | Groom’s outfit: Suit Supply | Rings: Swarovski | Jewellery: Jade Oi Studio | Hair and Makeup: Baina Uchaeva | Fragrance: Chloe Absolu De Parfum | Bridesmaid’s outfits: Reformation Bridesmaid Dresses | Styling and Planning: The Planners | Flora: Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort| Catering and Beverages: Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort| Invitation: Minted
