Influencer Hoàng-Kim Cung's Dallas, Texas, Celebration Included Three Wedding Ceremonies

Hoàng-Kim Cung (31 and a content creator) and Jonathan (Johnny) Huang Van (29 and a tech entrepreneur) wanted a wedding that felt both timeless and modern, so they could “look back at it decades from now and still love every detail without it feeling outdated or trendy,” says Hoàng-Kim. One way they ensured the celebration was timeless was by looking to the past and showing respect for their heritage. Specifically, it was paramount to Hoàng-Kim that the wedding honor her parents, since they never got a big wedding of their own. “I’m very proud of my Vietnamese culture, as my parents are political refugees from communist Vietnam,” she says. “Since they got married in a rush to flee Vietnam, they did not get to have many of the traditional wedding moments."

To honor their Vietnamese heritage, the couple selected an auspicious wedding date, April 16, 2022, upon the advice of Hoàng-Kim’s mother. The couple had three ceremony events. The first (Lễ Rước Dâu), held at home, blessed the marriage. The next (Lễ Hằng Thuận) was at a Buddhist temple during which the couple read a gratitude speech. In the last ceremony, Hoàng-Kim and Johnny exchanged personal vows. 

The fact that Hoàng-Kim’s father could walk her down the aisle and give a toast at the reception was a highlight for the couple, because he suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2015. “There were times I didn’t think he’d be able to walk me down the aisle, so for him to do that and make a speech was emotional. He worked on the speech for weeks with his speech therapist,” says Hoàng-Kim.

To further honor their heritage, a fun lion dance performance kicked off the wedding reception. Hoàng-Kim and Johnny planned the show to help them make a dramatic entrance in new ensembles. “We changed into a bespoke tuxedo for Johnny and a dream Vera Wang mermaid gown for me,” Hoàng-Kim says. “To give these outfits a ‘moment,’ we hired a traditional lion dance troupe. Lion dances represent good fortune and happiness. complete with gongs, cymbals and drums, it really made our entrance so fun and injected a lot of energy into the beginning of the reception."

At the reception, the couple had multiple interactive elements for attendees. “One of the stars of the show was our bookcase seating chart. Each guest had a book with their name and table number on the spine,” says Hoàng-Kim. Additionally, guests could pick up a red phone to record a voice message for the couple.

When it came to the menu, “we both chose a signature drink and had an ice luge, which our guests really loved,” she says. “Johnny’s drink was an old fashioned and mine was a mocktail with blueberries, passion fruit and lemonade. Guests could add alcohol if they wanted, and it was fun to see how creative people got with their concoctions.” A menu highlight was the seafood taro bird’s nest, a fresh take on one of Hoàng-Kim’s favorite dishes.

The evening ended with a surprise fireworks show set to “A Sky Full of Stars,” by Coldplay. “I smiled so much during the show and will remember it forever,” says Hoàng-Kim.