Bringing Bridal Sedans Back to Modern Weddings: Innovating to Go Far, Anchored in Tradition

There are images that seem to exist only in the memories of Vietnamese weddings from the past: the flower sedan chair, ceremonial parasols, the ao dai, the vibrant red color, and the solemn procession escorting the bride to her husband’s home.

But perhaps those values are finding an opportunity to return, in a new way.

The interesting thing is that today’s young Vietnamese generation grew up with technology, AI, social media, and global trends. They organize weddings that are increasingly modern, personalized, and reflect a very distinct aesthetic taste. Yet, the more they integrate, a segment of young people increasingly wants to return to their roots.

And weddings are becoming a beautiful space for that return.

The flower sedan chair is not just for creating a beautiful photo

In a traditional wedding, the bridal procession is not merely about moving the bride from one place to another.

It is a ritual marking a pivotal moment in life, when two families officially connect and the woman embarks on a new journey.

Therefore, the flower sedan chair, ceremonial parasols, the color red, the ao dai, and the procession all hold their own significance.

Notably, more than a decade ago, this imagery was recreated at Furama Resort Da Nang.

The flower sedan chair passes through tiled corridors, courtyards, and spaces bearing the hallmarks of Asian architecture. The bride in her traditional gown, the procession with ceremonial parasols and the color red, create a wedding that is both solemn and quintessentially Vietnamese.

Looking back at those images today, I see that their value lies not just in a beautiful wedding.

It raises a more interesting question:

In an increasingly modern society, why don’t we bring traditional values back using the language of today’s generation?

Young people are not turning their backs on tradition

Perhaps we once thought that the younger generation would prefer weddings entirely in the Western style: white wedding dresses, ballrooms, imported flowers, music, and international rituals.

But the reality is more interesting.

Many young brides and grooms want to wear the ao dai during the ancestor ceremony. They seek out traditional patterns, handcrafted materials, lotus flowers, ceramics, silk, bamboo, dishes associated with their hometown, and even the wedding rituals that once existed in their families.

This does not mean young people want to return to a wedding from decades or centuries ago.

They are choosing the most beautiful aspects of tradition to tell their story in a modern way.

This is a very important distinction.

For tradition to survive, it doesn’t necessarily have to keep every form intact. A flower sedan chair can certainly appear in a modern destination wedding. The ao dai can be designed using contemporary fashion language. The bridal procession can be shortened while still maintaining its solemnity.

What needs to be preserved is not every detail of the past.

What needs to be preserved is its spirit.

It is family. It is the witness of parents, grandparents, and loved ones. It is the respect for the moment two people start a new family. And deeper still, it is the feeling of knowing where you come from.

This could also be a new direction for the Vietnamese wedding industry

Vietnam is strongly developing destination weddings. We have beaches, resorts, heritage, cuisine, and beautiful wedding venues.

But if there are only beautiful ballrooms, beautiful beaches, and beautiful flowers, we will have to compete with Bali, Phuket, Koh Samui, or many other destinations.

Culture is the thing that is hard for others to copy.

A wedding in Vietnam can completely begin with traditional rituals, the ao dai, and a flower sedan chair; followed by a beach wedding in a contemporary style; then an evening banquet, music, and experiences for family and friends.

Especially for Vietnamese couples living abroad, or multi-national families, a wedding is a wonderful opportunity to introduce Vietnamese culture to international friends.

At that point, heritage no longer stays in the museum. Heritage enters life.

From a wedding ceremony to a “wedding holiday”

I think the Hospitality industry also needs to look at weddings more broadly.

A destination wedding should not just be measured by the number of guests or the revenue of a gala night.

Guests can arrive two or three days before the wedding and stay afterward. Both families have time to meet. Friends experience the destination together. The bride and groom can organize a welcome dinner, tea ceremony, rehearsal dinner, the wedding ceremony, an after-party, and post-wedding activities.

A wedding then becomes a wedding holiday.

This is also a direction that Furama Da Nang is well-equipped to develop because the resort space itself carries many hallmarks of Asian architecture and culture.

The flower sedan chair and the procession can be part of the heritage story. But before and after the wedding, there can also be Vietnamese cooking classes for both families, culinary experiences, wellness and spa for the bride and groom, yoga, beach sports, beachside parties, or journeys to explore Hoi An, My Son, the Marble Mountains, and Central Vietnamese culture.

Thus, we are not just organizing a wedding ceremony lasting a few hours, but can create a journey lasting several days.

And each day tells another story about Vietnam.

That is also the greatest value of bringing heritage into Hospitality: not displaying the past, but making the past continue to live in today’s experiences.

Perhaps the reappearance of the flower sedan chair in a modern resort carries such a meaning.

Young Vietnamese people are still moving very fast toward the future.

They love technology, like what’s new, and are ready to embrace global trends.

But moving forward does not mean having to leave one’s values behind.

Sometimes, on a very new day of one’s life, people want to find their way back to very old things: an ao dai, the color red, a family ritual, a flower sedan chair.

Because a beautiful wedding can be remembered for a few years. But a wedding with a story, with culture, and with roots can become a memory told through many generations.