Describe a wedding or celebration you attended

I want to talk about my cousin Linh's wedding, which I attended last December. She is the daughter of my mother's older brother and we grew up nearly together, so it was very special for me.

Actually the wedding took place in two places. The first part was in her family house in Hanoi, and after that we all went by coach to her husband's home town in Nam Dinh, it takes around two hours.

In the morning, the groom's family arrived with many trays of gifts covered by red cloth, like cakes and fruits, and the couple bowed in front of the ancestors altar. My uncle was crying, which I never saw before. Then in Nam Dinh there was a huge tent in the yard and maybe four hundred guests. My job was standing at the entrance and receive the envelopes of money from guests, so I was very busy and I couldn't eat a lot. In the evening there was karaoke and everybody sang very loud, even the old people.

I felt very proud of my cousin, and also a bit emotional, because now she lives in other city. It was tiring but it was one of the most beautiful day in my life, and it made me think about my own wedding in the future.

The celebration I'd like to describe is my cousin Linh's wedding last December. Her dad is my mum's older brother, and because our families lived on same street, we more or less grew up together, so I was really touched when she asked me to help out on the day.

It was actually spread over two places. The morning ceremony was at her family home in Hanoi, and then the whole party travelled down in a convoy of hired coaches to the groom's home town in Nam Dinh province, which is a couple of hours south.

In the morning the groom's family turned up carrying lacquered trays of gifts, all wrapped in red, and the couple bowed in front of the ancestral altar to ask for their blessing. I'd never seen my uncle cry before, but he was wiping his eyes the whole time. The reception in Nam Dinh was enormous: a marquee in the yard, around four hundred guests, and an endless stream of dishes. I'd been put in charge of the guest book at the entrance, which meant greeting people and looking after the envelopes of money they brought, so I barely had time to eat. Later on the karaoke came out, and even the elderly relatives were belting out love songs.

I came away feeling proud and a bit emotional, since she's moved to another city now and I know I'll see much less of her. It was utterly exhausting, but it's one of the happiest days I can remember.

The celebration that comes to mind is my cousin Linh's wedding, which was last December. She's the daughter of my mum's eldest brother, and since our two families lived three doors apart, she's always felt more like an older sister than a cousin, so when she asked me to help on the day, I didn't hesitate.

It was split between two locations. The formal part took place at her parents' house in Hanoi, and afterwards the entire wedding party set off in a little convoy of coaches to the groom's home town in Nam Dinh, a couple of hours down the highway.

The morning was the part I'll remember. The groom's relatives arrived in a procession, each carrying a lacquered tray piled with gifts under red cloth, and then the couple knelt before the ancestral altar while my uncle, a man I'd never once seen cry, stood there struggling to keep his composure. The reception was a different world entirely: a vast marquee in the groom's yard, roughly four hundred guests, and dish after dish arriving faster than anyone could eat it. I'd been entrusted with the guest book, so I spent most of the afternoon at the entrance, greeting people and keeping track of the red envelopes, and by the time the karaoke started, I was hoarse from making small talk.

Overall, I felt immensely proud of her, though it was bittersweet, too, because she's since moved to Da Nang and our weekends together are over. Even so, it's a day I'd happily live through all over again, sore feet included.