Mr. Nguyễn Minh Hùng Mrs. Nguyễn Phương Lan, of Houston, Texas, USA & Mr. Nguyễn Quốc Bảo Mrs. Nguyễn Thuỳ Dung, of Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai, Việt Nam Request the honor of your presence at the wedding of their children. Trân trọng báo tin Lễ Thành Hôn và Vu Quy của con chúng tôi.

Hieu and Vy first met at a wedding! Hieu's second cousin (Khanh) was marrying Vy's close friend (Nhi). And the same uncle/matchmaker who had set up Khanh & Nhi went up to bat again. He picked out Hieu & Vy from the crowd. A few shots of whiskey, some awkward dancing, and a broken wine bottle later... they exchanged phone numbers and began their penpal long-distance relationship.

They say you don't really know a person until you've traveled with them. Well, with Hieu living in Texas and Vy in Connecticut, they jumped into the deep end and immediately became travelers. Their first date was in Asheville, North Carolina to chase one of the "waterfalls in the US worth traveling for" (https://bit.ly/wtrfl). The waterfall was just okay, but the weekend was packed with cold beer, sunset hikes, and lots of laughter. That first trip launched their love of exploration and travel together. For the next two years, Hieu & Vy continued to date each other in new locations each month. This style of dating allowed them to hike to hot springs in Idaho, stargaze amongst the foliage in Maine, go snowshoeing in Colorado, and destroy their taste buds at a hot chicken festival in Nashville. They even forged new memories abroad in places like Vancouver, Mexico City, and Copenhagen.

Since the beginning, Hieu and Vy had been pretty open about their values and long-term goals for the future. So it was no surprise they wanted to get married to each other. But the question was when... to ask the question. On a brisk, misty morning at the base of a Norwegian fjord, Hieu and Vy (along with baby Noah and his parents) set foot on their 20km journey to Trolltunga. After several hours of hiking, they finally arrived at the iconic rock formation. While nestled on the "troll's tongue", Hieu checked the time, got down on bended knee, and offered Vy a nice egg. She laughed. Inside the egg was an engagement ring. Sure, the ring may not have fit due to swelling from the elevation gain. Yes, another hiker group had proposed in the exact same spot 5 minutes beforehand. But despite the imperfections of the moment, it was their moment. Together, they descended, hand in hand, into the promise of a beautifully imperfect future.