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The 31-year-old PhD student in China spent six months preparing for her big day, personally selecting every decoration and accessory, having them shipped from China to Vietnam, getting six wedding gowns and traditional dresses made, and preparing 15 ceremonial trays.

The wedding, held at her family home in Hai Phong City on July 13, cost nearly VND 200 million (US$7600).

She says: “I poured my heart into this wedding. Every detail was perfect until I saw the photos.” She recalls her disappointment after receiving the nearly 2,000 pictures from the photography team on July 13.

“My husband stayed up for nights comforting me as I cried.”

After the photographer admitted they were at fault and refunded her money, she decided to recreate the wedding and engagement setting for a second photoshoot with a different team on July 26.

“Luckily my husband supported my decision,” she says.

Instead of setting up a marquee at home, a wedding center lent the couple a hall to recreate their original ceremony from two weeks before.

Some 10 close friends were invited to the wedding reenactment. Hanh again wore the six wedding gowns and traditional dresses. The bride and groom repeated the vow, wine-sharing and ring exchange rituals in front of their friends.

“It was pretty expensive to redo the ceremony,” Hanh says.

But, for her efforts, she finally got a set of photos she was happy with.

Since July 31 she has been posting the wedding and engagement photos on social media to warm reception from friends, family and even strangers.

After the first batch of photos turned out poorly, Hanh had shared her frustration on social media.

While many comforted her saying the photos were less important than the marriage itself, she still chose to redo the shoot, explaining that she wanted lasting, beautiful images of the most important day of her life.

“Photos are a way to capture emotions, moments, and memories; you cannot do without photos of your big day,” she said.

HCMC-based marriage and family counselor Le Khanh notes that disappointing wedding photos can cause mild emotional distress for people who value memories. But he advises couples to instead look at it as a minor mishap, something to laugh about and retell later in their married life.

“Marriage should not be defined by photos, what matters is the understanding between two people.”

Photographer Tran Quoc Huy of HCMC, who specializes in documentary-style wedding shoots, advises couples to sign a contract to protect their interests before doing a photoshoot.

Hanh says: “I focused too much on decorations and dresses and overlooked the importance of choosing the right photographer. That mistake cost me a ‘version two’ of my wedding.”