In the wedding of the Western people, the wedding gate is a very important part. This is not only the first impressive highlight when welcoming guests, the face of the family but also shows the unique wedding culture of the river region.
Nguyen Tan Dat (Cho Moi, An Giang) has been a wedding gate artisan in the Western region for 4 years. Previously, he was a sculptor, his name was pencil, later when he saw his brother near his house making wedding gates, it led him to the profession until now.
Nguyen Tan Dat has been involved in the Western wedding gate making profession for 4 years.
Elaborate Western wedding gates are made from local products.
To create a wedding gate, the time to complete the gate from the day of collecting and purchasing raw materials to the day of final assembly is 3 days. The main materials for a Western wedding gate include products from the homeland such as: areca nuts, chili, okra, long beans, pineapple leaves, water coconut leaves, fresh flowers, areca leaves, garlic, needles or bamboo toothpicks.
These wedding gates have higher requirements for aesthetics and uniqueness.
The cost of an elaborate wedding gate ranges from 15 million to 50 million VND, depending on the distance or the size of the gate chosen by the homeowner. The gate maker takes full responsibility for transportation, materials and construction.
“Among the Western wedding gate styles, the dragon and phoenix wedding gate seems to be the most elaborate and takes the most time to complete. To design a dragon and phoenix wedding gate, my brothers and I had to study and practice a lot for a long time. The most difficult step was to think of a balanced flying or landing shape, then had to carve the dragon and phoenix frame. Next, we had to weld the frame, create the movement of the wings or head of the dragon and phoenix. The most difficult part was creating the shape of the dragon and phoenix head. We had to choose each chili pepper to look soulful and the fresh flowers had to be carefully cared for…”, Tan Dat replied to Travellive.
According to Tan Dat, the key step is to pin areca nuts, chili, okra to create dragon scales, chrysanthemums to create the body of the phoenix, chili and okra to create a tail for color, and pineapple leaves to make the wings or head of the dragon and phoenix.
The presence of the dragon and phoenix symbol on the wedding day symbolizes a harmonious and lasting marriage, a prosperous and happy life.
The idea of designing a Western wedding gate was that Tan Dat and his group had previously made gates from bamboo, coconut leaves... and the dragon and phoenix popular in life represent people's desire for the harmony of yin and yang - wealth - power.
Using a dragon and phoenix wedding gate means that the couple will have a full and harmonious married life. The dragon symbolizes the groom who is always strong and protects the bride. The phoenix symbolizes the bride who is always beautiful and charismatic. And from there, he and everyone designed and created a test shape, gradually going through each day to have a wedding gate with a strong Western style like now.
The main ingredients to make the wedding gate are mainly homegrown products such as: chili, okra, long beans, pineapple leaves, water coconut leaves, fresh flowers...
The "handmade" wedding gate preserves the beauty of Western culture
As society develops, there are many more beautiful and simpler wedding gate designs, but many people still prefer this style of wedding gate.
If in the city we often see "industrial" wedding gates and elaborate, beautiful decorations, in the West everything is homegrown with ingredients such as coconut leaves, chili, areca, okra and beautiful flowers...
A "handmade" wedding gate like this is a highlight in the market full of wedding gates made of fake flowers. Although it may take a long time, when completed, everyone will be delighted and satisfied with its grandeur.
This "handmade" wedding gate is considered a cultural beauty of Western people during weddings.
“The West is rustic and familiar with old values but still retains the love and passion when doing anything. And the gates shaped like Dragon and Phoenix make everyone admire and praise. Guests attending the party compete to check-in next to the unique gate. In my opinion, this type of wedding gate will gradually be replaced and less popular in a few years, but my team and I will still pursue our passion and do our best no matter what,” Tan Dat confided.
Wedding gates are elaborately decorated with water coconut leaves and banana trees, always having a special appeal in the midst of modern life. There is both nostalgia and luxury mixed with the simplicity of the homeland.
The meticulousness and ingenuity are shown through every line of the Western wedding gate.
Tan Dat added: “Later, when the flower gate service developed strongly, with more and more diverse designs and competitive prices, the wedding gates made from water coconut leaves by brothers and relatives gradually disappeared. It was thought that everything was just a memory, but no. When life becomes more hurried, people tend to slow down and look for the good values of the past, and the wedding gates made from coconut leaves, dragons, and phoenixes were also revived.”
