Second Post of the Day: Tsao's Daughter's Wedding

Saturday I attended the wedding of my friend Tsao's daughter. It was a black tie affair, very formal, and it began at 3:30 and ended at 11:00. It was a long day, but a lovely one.

Tsao and I have been friends for seventeen years and she has no family here aside from her husband and two adult daughters. Her mother in Vietnam died four years ago and Tsao has since told me that I am her mother in America. That is a huge honor.

Tsao's mother (left) was included in a memory display of loved ones who were gone.

The weather was sunny so the wedding was moved outside. That surprised me and I only had a sweater with me, but it was okay.

I didn't get any pictures of the bride and groom, but you can see her seated under those high windows. (Guests had been asked to "be in the moment" and were told that the families would share photos later.)

Tsao may not have any family in the United States, but she has a lot of friends among the Vietnamese community in Indiana. I was seated among them along with four other of Tsao's American friends. I really enjoyed learning more about Tsao's culture.

Because the wedding was an hour's drive away and out in the countryside, I did not stay for the dancing afterward. I don't like driving in the dark, so I slipped out after dinner, thanking Tsao as I left and explaining why I was leaving early.

It was a lovely day, and even better, wonderful to celebrate such a momentous day with a very dear friend.