Traditional wedding rituals and customs containing cultural and historical values are still maintained and handed down by the Red Dao people in Lai Chau province to educate future generations.

In the weddings of Red Dao people, the bride often wears traditional costumes with many sophisticated and complicated elements. In the photo, bride Tan May is being prepared by her uncle and aunts for her wedding day. The towel wrapping process alone took nearly 2 hours.

The towel wrapping process is the step that takes the most time to prepare. Six layers of towels are placed on the head, along with strings and silver bells attached to it to ward off bad omens.

The costumes of the bride and groom both have complex, multi-layered patterns, creating a highlight on the big day. This is also a traditional costume made of indigo fabric used by the Red Dao people on important occasions and holidays.

In the past, weddings usually took place for 3 days and 3 nights, but now with the new lifestyle, many families have shortened the wedding time, with 1 day and 1 night at the groom's house, while the bride's family only organizes one happy meal and takes the bride to her husband's house.

Previously, to get to the wedding, the groom's family has to visit the bride's house at least 3 times. For the first time without offerings, the matchmaker is chosen by the groom’s family must be someone who understand customs, and is reputable with the villagers. If the girl's family agrees, then the matchmaker will return to inform the groom's family to prepare for the wedding. The second time is the engagement ceremony. The third time is the stage of bringing gifts including pork, chicken, rice, and wine to the bride's family to prepare for the wedding.

The time to bring the bride to her husband’s home is carefully chosen by the Red Dao people. The time of departure and arrival at the groom's house must not coincide with the birth time of all members of both families. That's why many weddings are held at night or early morning.

Tan May's bride-giving ceremony took place at 4am. About 100 meters before reaching the gate of the groom's house, the procession stopped and changed the bride's outfit and head scarf.

A Red Dao bride often uses 3 types of veils: a 6-layer veil at the bride's family's wedding, a full-head veil during the bride-giving ceremony, and a traditional 2-layer veil after the wedding is completed.

The Red Dao people have a belief that when a girl gets married, she must not let the sun see her otherwise the bride will lose her soul and will have no luck in her later life. Therefore, Tan May wore traditional clothes and covered her head with a scarf during the journey to her husband's house.

Before the "importation" ceremony, the bride does not step foot through the main door of the groom's house but has to wait outside. Before going to the groom's house, the bride carries a new scarf, representing a change in life when getting married.

The priest is in charge of performing the rituals and reciting Sanskrit scriptures at the Red Dao wedding. The walls in the groom's living room are now filled with colorful fabric patterns and ancient scriptures.

The priest respectfully reported to the groom's ancestors. From this moment on, the bride and groom officially become husband and wife, and the family has a new member.

Then the bride and groom entered the house, knelt before the ancestral altar, and received a cup of wine and jewelry given by their husband's parents. At this moment, the bustling music of drums and trumpets rang out outside. Family and guests congratulated the bride and groom on their happy day

After changing the towel to a 2-layer towel for daily use. Tan May went to the tank to get water to perform the custom of washing her face. The bride brought a basin of water for the hosts on both sides to wash their faces at the main door and then to the other guests.