A Belgian engineer married a Vietnamese woman in Hue, and he followed the local wedding customs. His story shows how different cultures can meet and respect each other.

The wedding happened in September 2026 in Hue, Vietnam. The bride is Le Thi Kim Sieu, born 1996, and the groom is Cools Nick Dirk, born 1991, a chemical engineer from Belgium.

To marry Kim Sieu, Nick had to bring many traditional gifts. He prepared ten pigs (three piglets and seven pigs each at least 50 kg), a pair of goats, ten chickens, two sets of gongs, gold, silver and a sum of money. Nick’s mother also knitted a blanket, bags and socks as wedding gifts, and Nick took the gifts to the bride’s family for the formal engagement ceremony.

The celebration lasted three consecutive days. The bride’s family hosted the first two days, and the groom’s family hosted the third day. This followed the traditional rituals passed down through generations.

Nick was surprised by the required gifts, but he obeyed. “He was very surprised by the required wedding gifts, but he was happy to comply, showing his respect for my hometown’s customs,” Kim Sieu said. His respect shows how love can bridge different cultures.