More and more couples in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City have decided to celebrate their special day in a traditional and organic way with a veggie wedding gate.

Wedding gates made from coconut leaves, fruits, and vegetables used to be a staple at the weddings of the Mekong Delta’s residents before they were replaced by modern plastic flower gates which are more convenient and affordable.

However, in recent years more young couples have been trying to bring this feature back on their special day. 

Tran Trung Hieu has been providing wedding services, from reception meals to wedding gates, for the past ten years.

Located in the southern province of Dong Nai, Hieu and his team have traveled across Vietnam to make veggie wedding gates for nuptials in Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang, Can Tho, Long An, Bac Lieu, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and more.

Hieu specializes in shaping wedding gates into dragons and phoenixes, the two mythical animals representing nobility and prosperity which are widely seen in Asian weddings.

Customers need to make a reservation for his service days in advance and inform Hieu the gate size at their wish, so that he can estimate the material required.

“This gate is 3.5m high and 8-10m wide,” Hieu told Tuoi Tre News while working on a wedding gate for a couple in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City.

“We have to prepare the freshest vegetables beforehand.

“The total amount of veggies needed here is 55kg, including 20kg of betel nuts, 15kg of chilies, and 20kg of okras, plus garlic and beans. 

“Besides, this gate also needs around 1,000 flowers and leaves.”

According to Hieu, it takes his eight-strong team two to three days to complete a veggie wedding gate. 

“It requires multiple steps before we can have a complete gate, from selecting ingredients, transporting all materials to the venue to processing the vegetables, shaping and framing them, as well as decorating with flowers and leaves,” Hieu said. 

“The most important thing is to have a passion for learning in order to be able to create products with high esthetics."

It also requires meticulousness, patience, and hard work to craft the very small fruits and details, Hieu added, expressing his hope to see more people doing the craft in the future. 

A wedding gate created by Hieu’s team fetches VND30-40 million (US$1,263-1,685), depending on its size. A gate can last for three days. 

“This is for my son's wedding and we wanted a special gate like this after seeing people in the Mekong Delta region have this type of beautiful veggie wedding gate,” said Duong Thi Thu Trinh, a customer from District 12. 

“It makes the wedding more special with this type of traditional gate which would offer a beautiful backdrop for guests to take photos against.”

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