As dawn broke in the 6 am dark blue desert sky, Jeff got down on one knee and proposed to Caroline. The expansive desert backdrop faded into the distance as Jeff fumbled out a mahogany-colored wooden box out of his shirt pocket. Leading up to the proposal Jeff spent weeks choreographing a dance. But underneath the arch, he rummaged in his backpack and realized he did not pack his phone or speaker. Caroline looked curiously on as Jeff paused thinking of what to do. After what seemed an eternity, Jeff nervously told Caroline, "Pretend like there's music." She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what is he doing? Jeff began to dance. He didn't realize how hard it was to dance in bulky hiking shoes and on uneven, slippery stones with no music. Unaware of Jeff's internal struggles, Caroline watched attentively with a big smile on her face. Saying later, it was adorable and added to the moment. But Caroline had always thought the proposal would somehow begin with a sarcastic, "Wait, you read books." An inside joke that goes back to the beginning when they first met at a bar flooded with hip-hop music. Surprisingly, during their first meeting, the topic of books came up. Jeff replied with an unintended pick-up line, "Wait, you read books?" as he looked at her endearingly and curiously. Insulted, Caroline retorted, "What makes you think I don't read books?" After the initial shock subsided, they bonded over their mutual love for reading and traveling. A few hangs outs and dates later, they road-tripped to Utah on an adventure to explore all the beautiful stone arches. Sadly, there was one specific arch Caroline was excited to see, and as hard as they looked, they couldn't find it: Corona Arch. 5 years later, Jeff had an Ah-Ha moment to bring everything full circle and propose to Caroline underneath the very same arch. As Caroline and Jeff stood under the Corona Arch, she held his hand as she replied to his proposal: "Well, D'UUUHHHH." Moments later, Caroline realized the GoPro Jeff had nervously set up, only captured his back. And they re-did everything, adding another humorous memory to their journey

We are incorporating our different cultural traditions into our wedding! It will be a special blend of Vietnamese and Filipino traditions. The first tradition will be the Filipino Money Dance. Also, known as the prosperity dance, or sabitan ng pera in Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines). It's a symbol of financial abundance in the couple's marriage. Practiced around the world, the money dance’s origins can’t be traced back to one place, with its details varying widely per culture. This includes everything from the bouncing bridal polka in Poland to the splendid money spray in Nigeria. During the money dance, wedding guests will form 2 different lines to dance with either the bride or the groom. During each person's turn, they pin their cash offerings somewhere on the bride or the groom and then share a dance. Sometimes guests get creative and will make sashes, hats, and many other unique things. After the guests finish pinning the money, they will share a dance with the bride or groom. It is usually a slow dance, but feel free to be creative as you want and have fun! It is a time to celebrate! Come and share a laugh and a smile with us. Don't feel pressured, participation is optional, and any amount is welcomed! We just want to create fun memories with our loved ones! Vietnamese Table Greeting - Chào Bàn During the reception, the bride and groom "chào bàn", or do a table greeting, which is the customary process of going from table to table to personally thank guests for their well wishes and to collect cards and gifts. This tradition is called chào bàn, which literally translates to "hello, table." Traditionally, gifting is made in the form of money inside a red envelope or card. This is seen as a symbol of prosperity, health, and happiness. The money specifically given at weddings is referred to as "money warding off evil spirits" and is believed to protect the person of younger generations from sickness and death. Usually, each table selects a representative to give a quick congratulatory toast to the bride and groom. Before this tradition commences, the bride does a wardrobe change from her wedding gown to a traditional Vietnamese dress called an áo dài. To celebrate both cultures, Caroline will wear her traditional Vietnamese áo dài dress, and Jeff will wear his traditional Filipino barong long-sleeved formal shirt. As a symbol of good luck, we are keeping with the Vietnamese traditions, and we won't be having a regular wedding registry. We look forward to dancing and exchanging table greetings with each of you. We thank you!