Model Ming Xi and entrepreneur and co-owner of the Boston Celtics Mario Ho met in Shanghai during his sister’s birthday celebration in 2017, and the two got engaged two years later in 2019. “Mario threw a surprise engagement event,” Ming remembers. “He transformed his family’s mall, L’Avenue Shanghai, into a real-life Super Mario world, [where he] performed on stage with a guitar and sang for me. It was really a fun, memorable night for all of our family and friends.”
Their wedding was held seven years later, on June 1, 2026, at the Mont Saint Michel Abbey in the Normandy region of France. “It was the first time that a wedding had taken place at Mont Saint Michel’s abbey,” Ming says. The process took a whole year, with support from the Mont Saint Michel staff and Centre des Monuments Nationaux. “As it’s something that’s never been done before, a lot of approvals had to be made, but thanks to everyone, the planning process was fun and effective,” Ming notes.
The couple worked closely with the Wedding Company Hong Kong by Michele Li to plan the entirety of their wedding weekend, and the ceremony felt like a fairytale come true for the bride and groom. “There were beautiful floral decorations across the abbey, and we exchanged our vows in tears,” Ming says. “Our son and daughter were our flower kids for the ceremony, which made the ceremony even more memorable.”
Having worked in the fashion industry for over 10 years and walked in shows for many major brands, Ming has a deep understanding of how garments are crafted through countless fittings. “This experience has confirmed for me that Dior and Chanel are the absolute pinnacle of fashion,” Ming reveals. “Their cuts are simply immaculate.” With this top of mind, she started her wedding preparations by visiting their couture houses. “I absolutely love Jonathan Anderson’s new look for Dior,” she says. “The designs feel so vibrant and lively, with a youthful, girlish spirit that’s also effortlessly lazy and carefree.”
While Ming was at her first fitting, Jonathan Anderson just so happened to be working on his inaugural haute couture collection for Dior at the atelier. In that collection, there was a floral dress inspired by the ceramic works of Magdalene Odundo. “We decided to incorporate that beautiful detail into my wedding dress and transformed it into an open-back gown,” Ming says. “We paired it with wild silk charmeuse, which has a natural pearl-like luster.” The cuffs and back feature Dior’s signature delicate buttons, and for the open back, they inserted piano wire inside to create structure, allowing it to hold a beautiful, wing-like shape. Ming accessorised with a round diamond Graff necklace composed of 52 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, paired with matching brilliant-cut round Graff diamond studs. Finally, a bow at the waist of the bride’s dress completed the entire look.
“In the lead up to the ceremony, I was incredibly moved and felt completely surrounded by the love of my partner and our dearest friends,” Ming remembers. “In fact, we had already been together for nine years, and as we exchanged our vows, so many beautiful memories flashed through my mind.”
After the ceremony, guests gathered for a cocktail reception in the cloister at Mont Saint-Michel, eventually taking cars back to the small town of Deauville to get ready for the wedding reception later that evening.
For the dinner, Ming chose a vintage haute couture pearl dress from Chanel’s 1989 archive. “Since 1989 is my birth year, I wanted to wear a piece with deep sentimental value,” the bride explains. “We also held the wedding dinner in Deauville, which happens to be the very birthplace of Chanel, making the moment even more meaningful.”
She added her mother-in-law Angela Leong’s Australian white South Sea pearl necklace, along with round brilliant-cut Graff diamond earrings, and a Patek Philippe pearl watch. “I tried to create a look that felt both timeless and harmonious,” Ming explains. “Altogether, it incorporated all of the classic ‘something new, something old, something borrowed’ elements.”
During dinner, guests gathered at tables with gold and pearl tones for a four-course meal, with dishes including locally sourced lobster and zucchini flower in a tom kha broth, before the newlyweds cut their vanilla wedding cake. Espresso martinis were served and kept the energy high while the bride changed into her final look of the evening—a Givenchy dress from Sarah Burton’s spring 2026 collection, complete with a cape. Reflecting on her wedding day now, Ming says, “I felt completely surrounded by happiness.”
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The welcome party kicked off at the iconic Le Normandy Hotel. As the sun began to set, it cast the perfect glow just in time for guests to arrive and the evening to begin.
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For the welcome dinner, I wore a look from Dior’s spring 2026 collection in the most beautiful soft blue hue.
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The colour felt effortless and perfectly suited to the coastal setting.
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We wanted some red elements as it’s an auspicious color for weddings in China.
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We wanted some red elements as it’s an auspicious color for weddings in China.
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We put all of our rowdy friends together here so they could celebrate as loud as they wanted.
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Loved the beautiful tablescapes by Tulipina, paired with the perfect votive tones.
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Taking a moment to share a photo with my dream team, glam and PR friends all from China.
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So happy and relaxed. It was a perfect setting with the best weather for a quick, quiet portrait.
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Peeking over to see all my friends and family starting to arrive on our first day of celebrations.
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Le Normandy was the best hotel for us; it has so much history. Fun fact: Coco Chanel set up her Chanel hat shop within the hotel grounds.
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Everyone catching up in the garden before our welcome dinner.
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We served Delamotte Blanc de Blanc champagne, one of our favourites.
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Sneaking a photo of our dear friend Eileen Gu.
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He’s the love of my life!
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We had to have a seafood tower in Normandy.
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We ended the welcome party with tiramisu. It was the yummiest.
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The iconic UNESCO World Heritage site of Mont-Saint-Michel had to be the setting for our wedding. We became the first couple in over 1,000 years to be married here, a thought that still feels surreal. Throughout the weekend, I found myself constantly pausing to pinch myself, hardly believing that this extraordinary place would be where we exchanged our vows.
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We ran into the abbey to shoot a few photos of me in my Silky Miracle Robe. The lighting was coming through the stained glass window so beautifully.
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Mont Saint Michel has amazing energy within its stone walls; the wind would gust in different pockets within the abbey. I could just feel the incredible energy all around.
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My dream dinner dress from Chanel’s spring haute couture 1989 collection, the year I was born.
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Shoes to match my dress, of course.
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We were so blessed with the weather. In front of the abbey doors, the lighting here really showed off my makeup and gown to perfection.
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I chose to work with Dior to make my wedding dress dreams come true. There are a few words to describe how incredible I felt in this art piece. No one does it like Dior.
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I chose a Graff round diamond necklace composed of 52 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, paired with matching Graff brilliant-cut round diamond studs.
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The gown incorporated piano wires internally to maintain its sculptural shape, giving it the appearance of a pair of outstretched wings.
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Bespoke Dior high heels with a butterfly bow, embossed with our wedding date.
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We debated a long time whether to risk the Dior gown on the grassland, and my planner, Michele Li, and photographer, Jose Villa, convinced me it was worth it! We could not have had better weather.
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It turned out amazing with the sunset and just the two of us.
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A kiss in front of Mont Saint Michel.
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The wind started to pick up, and the veil took flight. We all gasped. It was all so perfect, the weather, the lighting, the team.
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A quick connection between shots.
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Taking a moment to snap a few photos alone with the wind.
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This bouquet of lily of the valley and hyacinth smelled amazing in the middle of our grassland shoot.
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The famous sheep from Mont Saint Michel showing off.
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I loved the colour contrast between my dress and the second bouquet Kiana made for me. I got a tiny bit of pollen on my dress, but hopefully no one noticed.
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Our Graff rings on a handmade pillow by Silky Miracle.
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We chose Tulipina for the amazing artistry that we have seen in so many weddings, and were beyond delighted with the transformation that Kiana brought to the abbey with thousands of stems of peonies.
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We gave all our guests plenty of time to get to the top of Mont Saint Michel to the Abbey. A little winded and all, once they got to the top, our guests could not stop taking photos.
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I could see the guests arriving from a window above; no one knew I was up there.
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Loved that all my friends dressed up in beautiful colours.
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The Graff team put the finishing touches on my ceremony look. I remember being so nervous, the Quartet was playing, and all I could think of was making sure to enjoy the moment down the aisle.
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My dad was so proud.
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With my tireless glam team, who are my loves.
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The doors opened, and I held on tight to my dad. What a dream to be walking down with him, giving me away to the love of my life.
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The best moment of my life.
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I could not stop thinking that our wedding was the first wedding here in 1,000 years. How can this be true?
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Tears of happiness! I couldn’t stop tearing up. I had to take a moment to pause and breathe; you could hear a pin drop.
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Our second kiss after the celebrant announced us as husband and wife. The cheering echoed throughout the abbey.
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I just remember to follow the light to the back, and look out of the abbey.
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Just married. The doors closed, and it was only the two of us.
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My handsome hubby.
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So happy my friends made the effort to come from all over the world.
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Cocktails at the cloister garden, with champagne and canapés.
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You could hear the voices and the laughing from my guests, it made me so happy that we were all together.
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The boys are looking sharp.
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The back of my dress was a highlight, and the cherry on top was wearing the hairpiece my mother-in-law let me borrow.
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Guests took photos on the grass in between the cloisters.
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The lighting was hitting so perfectly in the abbey right after the family photos. Seeing these photos now, I feel like I’m glowing.
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Just me and my parents.
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Focused on the next photo location. It takes a village to move around in your dream gown.
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The refectory had a certain vibe and light that was not like the inside of the abbey. It was a must for some photos. I finally felt like I could walk freely and not worry about my gown getting dirty since the ceremony had already happened.
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The sweetest kiss.
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Loved the light and architecture, one of my favorite photos from the day.
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Our little family.
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Mario with his very special Patek Philippe Blue watch.
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In one of our initial meetings, I mentioned that I wanted to add some vegetables to the dinner reception, but what Tulipina created was beyond my expectations and imagination. The addition of the pearls was the perfect touch to match my Chanel dinner dress.
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Subtle but colorful Tulipina signature compositions down the center of every table.
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Tulipina’s garden of flowers in every corner of the room matched perfectly with the airy feeling and early summer light in the reception space.
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A shot from above of our main table.
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Messages from our friends and family were written before they took their seats.
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Love notes from our loved ones.
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Gold embossed menus to match the gold and pearl tones of the table top.
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Loved reading these the next morning.
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Looking for their seats.
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Our grand entrance with speech in hand, ready to set the tone of our dinner reception.
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Wine, and more wine.
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Our niece read a poem—so heart-warming.
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It’s so amazing to see Mario so proud of the kids making a speech for our friends and family.
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The view from above.
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My wedding cake was perfectly accompanied by a shadow of the band.
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Mingling in-between courses.
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The second course was locally sourced lobster.
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The handsome Presley Zhu, who was the artist behind my hair.
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The massive chandeliers shone at sunset.
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Cutting the cake right before the after-party.
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Started dancing at our dinner table.
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Espresso martinis kept everyone awake! They were a bit jet-lagged.
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The after-party kicked off with the DJ moving up a notch on the music choices.
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This was the moment we knew the party had truly started.
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Josh Lauder and Jackson Wang showing us all how it’s done.
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Jackson Wang really knows how to start the party.
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This Givenchy gown with the cape and the sleeves was all I wanted to party in. It was so comfortable to dance in. Add some Graff, and we are talking.
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Being silly with one of our favorite wines from the region.
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