Six months of meticulous decoration were spent creating a wedding venue that recreated the cultural memories of Southern Vietnam.

Nguyen Truong Ly (born in 1988) didn't hesitate to spend months personally decorating every detail for his sister's wedding, from bamboo groves to rustic details of his Southern Vietnamese hometown.

Inspiration from the homeland

When asked about his decision to personally handle all the wedding decorations, Truong Ly shared that he didn't have a detailed design or plan. Everything came from childhood memories of his hometown in Southern Vietnam, familiar images deeply ingrained in his mind. "Since childhood, I grew up amidst the country breezes, beside woven baskets, banana trees, and lush green bamboo groves. Those images will never fade from my mind. I wanted to bring those simple things into my sister's wedding, so that the space would be both distinctly rural and warm and full of love."

Explaining how he recreated these images, Truong Ly said: "Southern Vietnamese culture is vast, but I only wanted to include images that I saw growing up in my hometown. I don't consider this a cultural recreation, but rather a recreation of memories, things that were once very close to me."

The elaborate plan included everything from bamboo groves and banana trees to the wedding arch.

The decorating process took over six months, from planting trees to erecting the bamboo fence. Before Tet (Lunar New Year), he started planting bamboo clumps, and by May, banana trees were planted to beautify the wedding arch. "I didn't want it to be like other weddings, where people just uproot banana trees close to the wedding day. I wanted the banana leaves to be fresh and healthy, with fruit, so the space would be truly vibrant and natural," said the bride's brother.

But things weren't always smooth sailing. Throughout the process, he faced significant challenges, especially the weather. "It rains a lot in my hometown during this season. There were days when it rained, but I still had to wear a raincoat to work. Even on those days, I didn't miss a single task. I had to water the banana trees three times a day, checking each one to make sure everything was perfect," he recounted.

The wedding arch was striking, featuring two bunches of fresh bananas, coconut fronds, and rice stalks, all custom-made for him in Cu Chi. The woven basket – a familiar image in everyday life – became a surprising highlight for the guests. Mr. Ly said: "The rice grains, coconut fronds, and woven baskets are all images I've seen since childhood. I wanted to recreate them as naturally as possible so that the wedding space would evoke a sense of simplicity and familiarity."

To realize his idea of ​​a wedding arch made from sedge grass baskets – a familiar item in Southern Vietnamese life – Mr. Truong Ly faced many difficulties in finding a suitable basket. His gate is 3 meters wide, while the sedge grass baskets sold on the market are all small, not impressive enough for the wedding space. Long sedge grass stalks, the main material for making large baskets, are also extremely rare.

With the help of a friend in Tien Giang, he approached four workshops but was rejected each time because they no longer accepted large-sized basket orders. At the fifth workshop, although the owner had quit the trade, after much pleading, they agreed to make two large baskets specifically for him. One basket was engraved with the words "Wedding Ceremony," and the other with "The Wedding of Aunt Anh and Uncle Duy." He had to buy the smaller baskets ready-made from the market.

Even though he found a place to have it made, he was still anxiously waiting in the days leading up to the wedding. "No one has ever used woven bamboo baskets as a wedding arch before; I've only ever seen people use rice husks or conical hats combined," he shared. To prepare for the worst-case scenario, he considered joining three small baskets together, but this option didn't give him the natural look he wanted. Therefore, he was determined to get the largest woven bamboo basket possible – something never before seen on the market. In the end, the two completed baskets became a special highlight for the wedding venue. They not only bore his personal touch but also evoked the simple, familiar charm of the Southern Vietnamese countryside.

He even used a drying rack for rice paper – an item seemingly only familiar in the kitchen – to add a unique touch to the space. Despite all this effort, he remains humble: "Southern Vietnamese culture is vast, but I don't dare claim to have recreated it. I only want to bring a sense of peace from the simple things around us."

It wasn't until 2 AM on the wedding day that Truong Ly finished the decorations. Everyone, including the bride, only had a glimpse of the concept until the space was complete. "Everyone was amazed when they first saw the wedding arch like that. Some wondered why I put so much effort into the bamboo fence. But seeing my sister's joyful eyes and the compliments from the guests, I felt all the effort was worthwhile," he recounted.

The meaning of simple things

When asked why he didn't hire a professional service, Truong Ly smiled and said, "I know doing it myself will be much harder, but I want everything to be different, intimate, and have personal meaning. Sometimes, the most beautiful things come from the things we often overlook."

He not only created a wedding but also conveyed a profound message: Simple things around us can be beautiful and peaceful. We don't need to search far and wide. For him, each decorative item is not just an ornament but a bridge between the present and memories, between family and homeland.

My sister's wedding was not just a joyous occasion, but also a story about sibling love, love for our homeland, and creativity stemming from the most familiar things. Through every detail, Nguyen Truong Ly created not only a special wedding space but also an inspiration on how we should preserve and cherish the values ​​of our homeland.

Ha Mai Trinh - Photo: Provided by the interviewee