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 accessorized 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.”