The University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City organized a mass wedding ceremony. One of the couples, Vo Nguyen Thi Thao and Lam Tan Canh, who have been married for 20 years, finally had the opportunity to experience a wedding ceremony. They were both overjoyed and grateful for the chance to dress up and exchange vows after all those years. Another couple, Nguyen Vu Son and Nguyen Thi My Dung, who have been living together for 12 years, also participated in the collective wedding ceremony. They had delayed having a wedding reception because of their unstable incomes from lottery ticket sales and odd jobs. The ceremony was truly special and emotional for them. During the event, instead of pouring wine, the couples watered tree pots as a symbol of growth and nurturing their relationships. Each guest received a pack of seeds, representing their wish for the couples’ happiness to flourish. The organizers also wanted to show that love is beautiful and worth celebrating, regardless of a person’s appearance. This mass wedding coincided with the 31st anniversary of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, making it even more meaningful. Vo Van Anh, chairman of an association for disabled people in Ho Chi Minh City, expressed his hope that similar ceremonies would be held in the future.

Nguyen Thi Linh Phuong (C, first row) and her husband Huynh Minh Phung (R, first row), a couple at the special wedding ceremony, pose for a photo with their family members. Photo: Courtesy of the organizer

During the mass wedding ceremony, couples watered tree pots instead of pouring wine as per convention.

Each guest attending the ceremony was given a pack of seeds with a message of contributing to nurturing the happiness of the couples.

Ho Le Anh Nguyet, head of the organizing board of the wedding ceremony, shared that the packs of seeds symbolized the community’s wishes to the couples and were expected to grow and bloom.

A couple waters a tree pot at the wedding ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of organizer

The organizers chose to hold the wedding ceremony for disabled couples to show that love is beautiful regardless of appearances. They wanted to fulfill the dreams of the disadvantaged. Vo Van Anh, chairman of an association for disabled people in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that the mass wedding ceremony was a humane gesture, especially as it coincided with the 31st anniversary of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. He hopes that similar ceremonies will continue to be organized in the future.

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