Noel Ting Chi-man has the rosy glow and beaming smile of a new bride. Her laugh bounces off the walls of the sparsely furnished room at the St Francis Canossian Convent in Wan Chai, where she works, as she recounts anecdotes from a recent ceremony.
'Several people asked me where I had my make-up done, but I wasn't wearing any,' admits the thirty-something physical-education (PE) teacher. 'Someone told me I looked very beautiful. I think it was because I was so happy. One of my best friends said, 'She's more joyful than before. She is wearing a big smile as if she is enjoying her honeymoon.''
She displays photographs of the event and points out her two brothers and their families in the front pews, among the two hundred friends and colleagues gathered for the solemn service at the Chapel
of St Mary's Canossian Convent. A wide smile betrays her nervousness, she says.
Look closer at the pictures and you'll notice there is something missing - a groom.
Kneeling in front of a small altar, Ting is seen vowing chastity, poverty and obedience - not to a physical man, but to God, leaving behind her life as Noel Ting to embark on a chaste spiritual journey as Sister Noel with the Canossian Daughters of Charity.
For some young women, a wedding is as much the chance to live out a long-held fantasy as it is about committing themselves to a life-long partner. It's the opportunity to wear a beautiful white dress, splurge on hair and make-up, invite friends to a party and have them witness the kiss with Prince Charming. It's the beginning of the next stage of their life - a time of romance, exotic holidays, home-buying and career.
