Dang Van Lam wedded his longtime girlfriend Bui Thi Yen Xuan (center) at a five-star resort's beach in the central city on Sunday.
The couple officially tied the knot after six years together. Their relationship has been mostly kept away from the public eye, as they rarely share photos with each other on social media. However, they did attend some events as a pair.
After a long dating period, both families wanted Lam and Xuan to get married to settle down and focus on their careers. The wedding was meticulously planned in order to be organized just a week after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 V. League season.
Dang Van Son helped Lam, his eldest son, put on his suit. Raising Lam in Russia with his Russian wife, Son nurtured Lam's Vietnamese side by teaching him Vietnamese from a young age and frequently taking him to Vietnam. When his son expressed his desire to return to Vietnam to pursue a football career, Son and his wife were worried but fully supported their son's passion.
Since 2018, Lam has become one of Vietnam’s top goalkeepers after overcoming initial difficulties. He won the AFF Cup in 2018, reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup, and the 2022 World Cup third qualifiers.
By the end of 2023, naturalized keeper Nguyen Filip has emerged as Lam’s competition between the posts. Lam is playing for Binh Dinh FC.
Born in 1991 in Ho Chi Minh City, Xuan is two years older than Lam and works as a personal fitness trainer. Through exercise and a scientific diet, she achieved a balanced and beautiful physique after struggling with being overweight. She follows a philosophy of discipline and strives to convey positive energy in life.
Xuan not only understands Lam's personality but also knows how to take care of their family life. She is praised as a great cook who can prepare scientific and nutritious meals for her professional footballer husband.
The pair exchanged wedding rings. "I promise to love, protect, and take care of you for the rest of my life," Lam vowed to his wife.
Lam shared that becoming a groom at the wedding was more nerve-wracking than standing in goal for his club and the national team.
Lam's mother Olga Zhukova kissed her daughter-in-law on the cheek after she and her husband, along with Xuan’s family, presented the pair with wedding gifts. She had previously spent a long time getting to know Xuan in Russia and then in Vietnam. She also taught her daughter-in-law how to cook some Russian dishes that Lam loves.
Zhukova met Son, Lam's father, when they were both ballet dancers. Son is the twin brother of the famous Vietnamese ballet artist Dang Van Hung. Lam's cousin is the renowned Vietnamese ballet dancer Dang Linh Nga.
Lam is the eldest son in the family, with a younger brother and a younger sister.
The bride and groom ate karavai bread with salt prepared by the groom's mother at the wedding, a traditional Russian custom. The bread was also shared with the guests.
The wedding took place in a private setting. Besides family members, the couple only invited 13 close friends, including center-back Adriano Schmidt (L), Lam's teammate at Binh Dinh.
The wedding continued into the evening with guests setting off fireworks to celebrate the newlyweds.
Lam showed affection to his wife at the evening party.
Before Lam, many Vietnamese footballers also married women of their senior, the most recent being midfielder Nguyen Phong Hong Duy, defender Tran Dinh Trong, striker Nguyen Cong Phuong, and defender Giap Tuan Duong.
