This has NOTHING to do with Hmong marriage customs period;
Then why are weddings still happening when the bride is kidnapped or "zij"? Why didn't they (the groom and bride's parents) deny the wedding proceedings since it has
"NOTHING to do with Hmong marriage customs period"? Fact is, bride kidnapping is one way to get married and it is a part of the Hmong marriage customs. And it's been part of it for centuries. Even happens today as we can see on this thread. Good thing the girl's parents had enough sense not to go through with it.
You can deny all you want that bride kidnapping is not part of the traditional Hmong wedding process but the research will deny your claim. Besides the elders' words and others that have actually witnessed this atrocity accounts, the research to back it up is very easy to find, and it'll show that it happens, and accepted in several cultures including the Hmong culture.
I am just glad to see more and more Hmong people are dropping this primitive aspect of traditional Hmong wedding customs...