Beautiful brides of the Red Dao ethnic people

Before going to the groom’s home, a Red Dao bride is prepared
carefully, has make-up put on and is covered with a veil, then waits to
be brought to the home by the bridegroom’s family. The program was
performed by Dao artisans from Tuyen Quang province on February 19. 

When the bridegroom’s family comes, bride’s mother leads her
 daughter to welcome them. 

The offerings includes two cocks, 10 bottles of wine, 30 kg of rice and
30 kg of pork, to request to bring the bride to home. According to the
custom, the bridegroom doesn’t go to the bride’s home to bring her
home and also doesn’t see the bride’s face until the ceremonies
thanking the ancestors are completed. Dao ethnic people say that
these customs bring good fortune afterwards, and the couples are
 happy for one hundred years. 

The bridegroom’s family is back with a ceremonial music delegation
including pan-pipe, drum, gong and cymbals playing songs to
celebrate the wedding. The Dao ethnic group in Tuyen Quang province
has over 90,000 people, the third largest population in the province.
 They mainly live in the districts of Ham Yen, Yen Son and Chiem Hoa. 

Normally, a Dao wedding is organized over two days and it is most
jubilant in the bridegroom’s family. The delegation bringing the bride
to the bridegroom’s home carries a red – covered box containing
 blanket, pillows and the belongings of the bride. 

When the delegation comes to bridegroom’s door, the wizard is waiting
in the home and moves out the door in order to conduct rituals.
The wizard prays to wipe out the bride’s unluckiness before entering
the husband’s home and to have the husband’s ancestors to accept
the bride and support the couple being healthy, having babies who
 are intelligent, talented and successful. 

The bride and bridegroom enjoy the cup of wine just after the rituals
 have been held outside the door of the house. 

The couple makes a thanksgiving to the ancestors. The bridegroom
kneels before the ancestral altar to inform the ancestors and ask
 their support for the couple to be happy and do a good trade. 

Then the couple goes out of the door and waits for three drum-calls
to stop, when the bridal veil will be raised by her husband’s mother. 

The couple is linked by a strip of pink cloth, which symbolizes
 the marriage ties. 

The beautiful bride stays in another house. At that time, the
bridegroom’s family prepares a feast for people from both bride’s family
and bridegroom’s family to enjoy. The music group plays during the
feast. The bride and bridegroom will come to every group of guests at
 the feast to toast and thank them.