No longer just all about Steve as he marries his gem of a bride

Sapphire Wang and Steven Birt met a few years ago at a networking event called Beauty and the Banker. Although Steven was not a banker, he did find his beauty. And she was only there because her colleagues insisted she accompany them.

Sapphire, a client relations manager born in Beijing but educated in Hong Kong, and Steven, a British solicitor who came to Hong Kong 17 years ago, registered their marriage in March. They celebrated on April 6 on the Thai resort island of Phuket, where 50 guests witnessed them exchanging their vows.

'I wasn't really a fan of networking events, but my colleagues asked me to go with them, so I tagged along. But it turned out Steven had been to the event before hunting [for a girlfriend],' Sapphire said, laughing.

Steven introduced himself, but the response he got left him momentarily speechless. 'Oh, Steve,' Sapphire said. 'Did you watch the movie All About Steve?' They nevertheless got over that hiccup and Sapphire was left with a good impression of Steven. 'There was definitely chemistry going on between us. Among all the other guys who were there, Steven wasn't being too touchy or showy. I could tell he was a good guy,' she said.

The following day, Steven e-mailed Sapphire to say hello. He e-mailed her again the next day asking her if she would accompany him to an event the following Saturday. On that morning, Steven phoned Sapphire and they talked for more than an hour, even though they were practically strangers. 'The conversation flowed so naturally that we both felt very comfortable talking about ourselves, our thoughts and our families,' she said.

On that first date, Sapphire had to leave early. As she was about to go, Steven kissed her, and it was the start of something special. 'That was a really good kiss. Now, when I think back, it feels as if we were in a movie. If it was not love at first sight, it definitely was at first kiss,' she said.