The Morning of Thuy's Wedding

Live coverage from Thuy's wedding, Nguyen Canh Chan neighborhood, morning of Ho Chi Minh's Birthday.

You can't get any more traditional than this...

I'll try to give a play by play of the day. I'm taking the morning off, putting on my ao dai and going with the rest of the neighborhood to witness Dung's family coming to Thuy's house where the official marriage will take place.

I ran over this morning and got to ascend the ladder to T and T's second story room, where Thanh was having make-up done and where I got to help snap Thuy up into her traditional red and gold ao dai. Thuy is giddy with joy and excitement today.

Their house has been cleared of fabric (the neighbors are storing it) and the refrigerator and sewing machine have been pushed to the back and all is covered by a curtain with a beaded picture of a deer and the traditional wedding altar.

Thanh has spent hours cleaning and putting up the traditional decorations: the name of both Thuy and Dung cut out in styrofoam on the wall and lots of paper streamers - like what we might do for a birthday party. Tables have been set up around the house to receive guests for the ceremony.

I have been coming over each night to share in all of the excitement. For two nights, T, T, Dung and T's mother and father and I have sat on the cool floor saying not much at all, drinking ice water to cut into the night's humidity.

That floor has become one of my favorite and most comfortable places in the world. Every time I round the corner and stick my head into that house, I am received like a queen. The only thing I am not excited for today is the heat - it's a hot one here in the city. Stay tuned!