Denise Trang Duong and Matt Seikel marked their one-year anniversary on April 11. It was, without a doubt, a wedding to remember.

The wedding/reception invitations featured an original drawing by the bride who is an artist. It was written in English and Vietnamese. The groom is also an artist. Bonnie Tibbs played the cello and Victoria Trang played the violin to provided music for the wedding ceremony.

Parents of the couple are Jeary and Mike Seikel and Nhan and Rang Duong. Matt's parents, Jeary and Mike, (married for 36 years) and grandparents, Amy and Mike Seikel (married in 1911) were also married the Saturday before Easter.

The colorful Asian Restaurant was filled with people. Following the Vietnamese tradition, the bride and groom and their families went to each table and welcomed the guests who were there for the eight-course dinner. Toasts were given for the couple's happiness and etched champagne glasses were used for the toasts and were also party favors for the guests.

For the toasting ceremony, Denise wore a yellow dress that her aunt, Auynh My, made for her in Vietnam. She wore a yellow hat that was sculpted in metal and covered in fabric. (Sometimes in Denise's artwork, she draws women wearing swirly hats like the ones she wore for her wedding.)

There was a photo booth for guests and pictures taken that night were put in the couple's memory book.

The bride wore a white wedding suit that she designed herself. She also created the beaded hat that she wore. She carried a bouquet of dendrobium orchids, succulents, protea pincushions, delphinium and amaranthus.

Bridesmaids, Tina Duong, Trayc Tran, Natalie Mai, Emily Seikel, wore lilac dresses covered with lace overlays. Groomsmen, Beau Brand, Thomas Elliot Bowman, Dereck Duong and Nick Mettry, wore tuxes with silk cream shirts with purple medallions.

On the menu was Asparagus crab meat soup, Vietnamese Lotus Salad, Stuffed Crab Claw with Shrimp, Barbecued Quail, Fried Salted Shrimp, Seafood in Bird's Nest, Steamed Fish, Yang Chow Fried Rice, fresh fruit and wedding cake.

The three- tiered wedding cake had different flavors, strawberry/green tea, peaches and cream and cherry brandy. It was covered in fondant icing and top layer had the invitation art re-created in icing. Peacock feathers topped the cake. The groom's cake was a chocolate drum cake. Thomas Elliott Bowman, a chef from Chicago, made the cakes.

The band was "Replay." Matt Seikel who is also a drummer joined the band for a couple of songs.

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