If you marry a Hmong, it's never complete unless you have the Hmong wedding, too, especially for a woman. His family won't address her properly. They won't take her as a family member but just a girlfriend to the guy, etc. And they won't be officially married if they don't do the wedding with the husband's dad or his rep if he's dead.
I had a traditional wedding and an American wedding. I only wanted the American but when you are a Hmong woman and you marry a Hmong man with a traditional family, I guess you have to do a traditional wedding too. I guess it's nice to experience it. It's part of our culture. Going forward though, hopefully they will do away with the politics and the drinking aspects of the Hmong wedding. Keep the dressing up in cultural clothing, food, and blessing/advice giving parts.