Hoi An, Vietnam
Destination wedding guide
Hoi An enchants with its ancient lantern-lit streets, world-class silk tailoring, and riverside charm — a UNESCO heritage town where magical atmosphere and extraordinary affordability create unforgettable weddings.
By Plana Editorial
Updated
Vietnam
What makes it special
The full picture
Hoi An is one of those rare places that feels like it was designed for romance. This ancient trading port on Vietnam's central coast has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries — Chinese merchants, Japanese traders, French colonists, and Vietnamese artisans all left their mark on its architecture, cuisine, and traditions. Today, the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town is a pedestrian wonderland of narrow lanes lined with mustard-yellow shophouses, Chinese temples, Japanese covered bridges, and French colonial facades, all illuminated each evening by thousands of handmade silk lanterns that cast the entire town in a warm amber glow. It is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful and atmospheric places on earth to hold a wedding.
The venue options in and around Hoi An are surprisingly diverse. Within the Ancient Town, restored heritage houses and riverside restaurants offer intimate ceremony and reception spaces where centuries-old wooden architecture meets contemporary Vietnamese design. Along the coast — An Bang and Cua Dai beaches are just four kilometres from the town centre — beachfront resorts provide tropical ceremony settings with the South China Sea as a backdrop. In the surrounding countryside, rice paddies, coconut palm groves, and riverside gardens create lush green settings that feel impossibly serene. Several luxury resorts, including the Four Seasons Nam Hai and Victoria Hoi An, offer dedicated wedding packages with stunning grounds.
Hoi An's legendary silk tailoring tradition adds a dimension to weddings that no other destination can match. The town has hundreds of expert tailors who can create custom wedding dresses, groomsmen suits, bridesmaid outfits, and guest ao dai (the traditional Vietnamese garment) in as little as 48 hours at a fraction of Western prices. A custom silk wedding dress that would cost $3,000–$5,000 in the West can be made for $200–$500 in Hoi An. The food scene is equally extraordinary — Hoi An is widely considered the culinary capital of Vietnam, with a unique local cuisine featuring dishes like cao lau noodles, white rose dumplings, and banh mi that can be woven into a wedding menu unlike anything guests have experienced before.
Marriage requirements
Vietnam recognises marriages involving foreign nationals, but the legal process requires advance preparation. Couples must submit applications to the local People's Committee (commune level) at least 15 working days before the ceremony. Required documents include valid passports, certificates of freedom to marry from your home country (apostilled and translated into Vietnamese), health certificates, and birth certificates. The process is bureaucratic, so most couples marry legally at home and hold a celebratory ceremony in Hoi An.
Where to actually celebrate
Restored heritage houses within the Ancient Town
Beachfront resorts along An Bang and Cua Dai beaches
Riverside garden venues with coconut palm canopies
Luxury resort estates with dedicated wedding pavilions
Rice paddy and countryside settings in the surrounding villages
From people who’ve done it
- 01
Time your wedding around the monthly full-moon lantern festival when the Ancient Town turns off electric lights and is illuminated entirely by candles and silk lanterns — the atmosphere is utterly magical and creates once-in-a-lifetime photographs.
- 02
Book appointments with Hoi An's top tailors at least three days before the wedding so the entire wedding party can have custom outfits made — a bespoke silk suit costs $80–$150 and a custom dress $150–$400, making it an unforgettable group experience.
- 03
Plan your celebration between February and August to avoid the rainy season — October and November bring the heaviest rainfall and occasional flooding in the Ancient Town's low-lying streets.
Frequently asked
How do guests get to Hoi An?
Da Nang International Airport, just 30 minutes from Hoi An, receives direct flights from major Asian hubs including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, as well as domestic flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. International guests typically connect through one of these hubs. Most hotels arrange airport transfers, and private cars from Da Nang to Hoi An cost approximately $15–$20 USD. The journey passes over the scenic Hai Van Pass area.
How affordable is a Hoi An wedding compared to other destinations?
Hoi An is among the most affordable quality wedding destinations in the world. A beautifully designed wedding for 50–80 guests at a luxury venue — including ceremony, reception, catering, flowers, photography, and decoration — typically costs $6,000–$15,000. Equivalent quality in Europe or the US would cost $40,000–$80,000. Guest accommodation at four-star beachfront resorts runs $50–$120 per night. The custom tailoring alone saves thousands compared to Western bridal wear.
What is the weather like and when should we avoid?
February through August offers warm, mostly dry weather with temperatures of 25–35°C. March through May is ideal — warm but not yet at peak summer heat. The rainy season runs from September through January, with October and November being the wettest months when typhoons occasionally affect the central coast and flooding can occur in the low-lying Ancient Town. If you must visit during the wet season, December and January are drier than the peak months.
