Nguyen Truong Ly (born in 1988) did not hesitate to spend months personally decorating every detail for his sister's wedding, from bamboo bushes to rustic details of his Southern homeland.
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Evocation from homeland
When talking about the reason why he decided to do all the wedding decor himself, Truong Ly shared that he did not have a detailed design or plan. Everything came from his childhood memories of his Southern homeland, the familiar images that he had engraved in his mind. "Since I was little, I grew up amidst the countryside breeze, next to the baskets, banana trees, and green bamboo trees. Those images never fade in my mind. I want to bring those simple things to my sister's wedding, so that the space is both rustic, cozy and full of love."
The bride's brother personally prepared and decorated for months.
Explaining how he recreated these images, Truong Ly said: "Southern culture is very vast, but I only want to include images that I saw during my days growing up in my hometown. I do not consider this a cultural recreation, but a recreation of memories, things that were very close to me."
Water jars, rice stalks... are all childhood memories
The elaborate plan from the bamboo bushes, banana bunches to the wedding gate
The decoration process lasted more than 6 months, from planting trees to building bamboo fences. Before Tet, he started planting bamboo bushes and by May, banana trees were planted to beautify the wedding gate. "I don't want to be like other weddings, where people only dig up banana trees close to the wedding day. I want the banana leaves to be fresh and have fruit, so that the space is truly lively and natural," said the bride's brother.
Mr. Truong Ly has to water the bananas three times a day, watching each plant to make sure everything is perfect.
But things didn’t always go smoothly. Throughout the process, he faced major challenges, especially the weather. “It rains a lot in my hometown this season, and there were rainy days when I still had to wear a raincoat to work. On those days, I didn’t miss any work. I had to water the bananas three times a day, watching each plant to make sure everything was perfect,” he said.
The wedding gate stands out with two fresh banana stalks, coconut leaves and rice baskets that he specially ordered from Cu Chi. The basket cushion - a familiar image in daily life, has now become a surprise highlight for guests. Mr. Ly said: "Rice grains, coconut leaves, and basket cushions are all images that I have seen since I was a child. I want to recreate them as naturally as possible so that the wedding space evokes a feeling of simplicity and familiarity."
Custom-made rice barns from Cu Chi
To realize the idea of a wedding gate made from a basket of sedge - a familiar item in the life of the South, Mr. Truong Ly encountered many difficulties in finding a suitable basket. His gate is 3m wide, while the baskets sold on the market are all small in size, not impressive enough for the wedding space. Long sedge stalks, which are the main material for making large baskets, are extremely rare.
With the help of a friend in Tien Giang, he went to four establishments but was refused because they no longer accepted large baskets. At the fifth establishment, although the owner had quit the business, after much persuasion, they agreed to make two large baskets for him. One basket was dedicated to the engraving of "Vu Quy Ceremony", the other basket was inscribed with "Dam Cu Co Ut Anh - Cau Hai Duy". He had to buy the smaller baskets from the market.
The elaborate and dedicated baskets of bamboo cushions of the elder brother
Even though he found a place to do it, he still waited anxiously in the days leading up to the wedding. "No one has ever used a palm-leaf basket as a wedding gate; I've only seen people use rice floors or conical hats," he shared. To prepare for the worst case scenario, he considered combining three small baskets, but this option did not bring the natural look he wanted. Therefore, he was determined to have the largest palm-leaf basket - something that had never appeared on the market. In the end, the two completed baskets became a special highlight for the wedding space. They not only carried a strong personal mark but also evoked the simplicity and familiarity of the Southern countryside.
Rice paper drying rack - a familiar kitchen item is also used to decorate the space to make it more unique.
He even used a rice paper drying rack - an item that seems to be only familiar in the kitchen - to create a unique feature for the space. Despite such great effort, he is still modest: "Southern culture is very broad, but I do not dare to claim that I can recreate that culture. I just want to bring a sense of peace from the simple things around us."
It wasn't until 2am on the wedding day that Truong Ly finished the decor. Everyone, including the bride, only had half of the idea until the space was completed. "Everyone was surprised when they first saw the wedding gate like that. Some people wondered why I put so much effort into the bamboo fence. But looking at my sister's happy eyes and the compliments from the guests, I felt all the effort was worth it," he said.
Everyone was excited and surprised by these images.
The meaning of simple things
When asked why he didn’t hire a professional service, Truong Ly smiled: “I know doing it myself would be much harder, but I want everything to be different, to be close and have personal meaning. Sometimes, the most beautiful things come from the things we often forget.”
He not only created a wedding but also conveyed a profound message: The simple things around us can also be beautiful and peaceful. We do not need to look far. For him, each decor item is not only a decoration but also a bridge between the present and memories, between family and homeland.
My sister's wedding is not only a happy day but also a story about brotherhood, love for homeland and creativity from the closest things.
My sister's wedding is not only a happy day but also a story about brotherhood, love for homeland and creativity from the most familiar things. Through every detail, Nguyen Truong Ly has brought not only a special wedding space but also a source of inspiration on how we preserve and cherish the values of our homeland.
