First cliff walks at sunset, then hearts finally met

Few A-listers have the guts to break the news of their marriage quite like Karen Mok Man-wai.

The singer-actress announced that she was marrying her first love, Johannes Natterer, while accepting the award for best Mandarin female performer at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards in June. The star said on stage that there was no better way to celebrate her win than by getting married this year. Karen and Johannes, a German-born finance executive, were married on October 1 in a winery owned by the Salvatore Ferragamo family in the outskirts of Florence, Italy.

Karen's vintage-inspired wedding dress was custom-made by her fashion designer friend Johanna Ho. Her crystal-studded wedding shoes were designed and made by Salvatore Ferragamo's veteran artisans. Instead of a gift list, the couple encouraged guests to donate to the school in Florence where they first met, when they were only 17.

'I got to choose between Italy and London for the programme back then. I'm glad I made the right choice, or else I could have missed Johannes,' said Karen, laughing.

The two bookworms forged a fast bond at school.

'We both love reading,' she said. 'So we often hung out in the library to read and grabbed a bite after school. Before we actually started dating, all our friends thought we were already a couple.'

Puppy love gradually blossomed.