Lights, Camera, I Do! Karena Ng and Brian Sze’s Wedding in Tuscany Was an Ode to Old Hollywood
The morning of Karena Ng’s wedding to Brian Sze began not with sunshine, but with rain. Heavy rain. “The skies were so overcast, and parts of the hotel even had hail,” Karena remembers. “We had to delay the ceremony by an hour, and honestly, we were all just sitting there hoping the rain clouds would have mercy.” At last, mercy arrived.
As guests made their way to Villa di Geggiano—a 14th-century villa outside Siena where the ceremony was to take place—the clouds began to lift. A soft golden light washed over the Tuscan hills, and with it, Karena felt the day transform. “I can’t even describe the relief I felt when the sun finally came out. It felt like the whole atmosphere changed.”
Karena, an actress based in Hong Kong, and Brian, head of Asia Pacific at Checkout.com, had always envisioned their wedding as something cinematic, romantic, and transportive. Their planners, Juliana and Nati of Savvy Events Studio, brought that vision to life. “Hiring Savvy was the best decision ever,” Karena says. “From the very first call, they understood exactly what we wanted. They curated every detail with so much care—from the venues to the flowers. Honestly, they made the entire process so easy for us.”
The couple’s own love story began in Hong Kong, albeit in far less glamorous circumstances. “We met at Ocean Park during a Halloween-themed weekend,” Karena recalls, laughing. “My friend Kevin, who later became one of my bridesmaids, actually introduced us. But at the time, I wasn’t interested. I thought Brian was too short!” They crossed paths again, nearly a year later, at a birthday party. “He hadn’t grown any taller,” she teases, “but something clicked that night.” Karaoke sessions (always Jay Chou), sun-soaked outings, and endless hotpot dinners followed. “I remember wondering whether Brian really liked all the same things I did—or if he was just pretending so we’d spend more time together,” Karena says. “But one night, he came to meet me straight after a hotpot dinner, with cilantro stuck in his teeth and smelling like garlic. That’s when I knew he was serious.”
In October 2022, Brian proposed—but not just anywhere, or in any way. The setting was a glamorous photo shoot arranged for Karena’s 29th birthday by her closest friends—the same group who would later serve as her bridesmaids. “They told me it was to celebrate the last year of my 20s,” Karena explains. What was supposed to be a simple commemorative shoot quickly escalated into something far grander: Gucci, Valentino, and Miu Miu provided outfits, the location was styled like an Old Hollywood film set, and a vintage Rolls-Royce was positioned as a prop. A full team of photographers and videographers was on hand to document the day. “I was loving it,” Karena says. “I thought it was just this elaborate birthday surprise.”
What she didn’t know was that Brian had secretly turned the shoot into a proposal. “I’d always told him—if you’re going to propose, I want to be dressed up, and it has to be captured on camera,” Karena recalls. “He remembered that.”
As Karena changed into a vintage Valentino gown for the final look of the shoot, Brian waited nervously behind the backdrop, working with her friends to time his appearance. When Karena returned to set, she found 300 roses arranged atop the Rolls Royce and their favorite song, “Until I Found You,” softly playing. Then, Brian stepped forward, dressed in a Ralph Lauren Purple Label pinstriped suit, and dropped to one knee. “It was perfect,” Karena says. “A complete surprise—and exactly what I wanted without even knowing it.”
Their wedding, held in August 2024, unfolded across two days in Tuscany. “We chose Tuscany because we both love being outdoors, under the sun—and the scenery there is just unbeatable,” Karena explains.
The festivities opened with a welcome dinner at Borgo San Felice. “For that, I wore a pink floral Carolina Herrera dress,” Karena says. “The theme was Under the Tuscan Sun.” Brian paired his Zegna beige linen suit with an olive linen shirt and Triple Stitch sneakers. “It felt relaxed and summery.”
But the main event was the ceremony itself, set at Villa di Geggiano. Guests entered through the villa’s frescoed halls, where 12 hand-painted scenes of seasons lined the walls, before arriving at the all’Italiana garden. “We were really worried about the rain, but when we got to the villa, it was like the sun came out just for us,” Karena remembers. The ceremony décor, created by Vincenzo Dascanio, featured a towering floral pagoda adorned with light pink roses and white orchids. “It was breathtaking,” Karena says.
Brian arrived first, driving up the cypress-lined driveway in a vintage 1957 Porsche Speedster. “Everyone loved that entrance,” Karena says. Then came the moment Karena had long imagined. “I walked down the aisle to ‘Wildest Dreams’ wearing a Zuhair Murad gown. It had long sleeves, a dramatic train, and so many intricate lace details.” She paired the gown with Jimmy Choo heels and De Beers earrings. “That gown was everything to me. I felt like a princess.” The sun filtered through the trees as the couple exchanged vows beneath the floral arch. “After the stress of the morning, it was just…peaceful. I felt so much love from everyone around us.”
A surprise twist came during their first kiss: “The fireworks went off early! So I had to kiss Brian quicker than planned, just to make sure we caught the moment.” After the ceremony, guests enjoyed prosecco and canapés in the villa’s topiary garden while Karena and Brian slipped away for portraits. Then it was back to Borgo San Felice for the evening’s wedding party—where Karena’s love of film took center stage.
“I wanted the dinner party to feel like a movie set,” Karena says. Guests were handed movie tickets stamped with a quote from Love Actually—“To me, you are perfect”—before entering a red velvet tent labeled “On Air—Enchanted Romance.” Inside, candles hung from the ceiling, menus were printed on film reels, and place cards resembled director’s clapboards. “It felt like stepping into a film production.”
For the dinner, Karena changed into a gold Georges Hobeika couture gown embroidered with intricate beading. “That dress sparkled under the candlelight—it was like wearing stardust.” Brian wore a white Brioni tuxedo jacket with a white shirt from Mr. Dandy. After dinner, Karena changed once more, slipping into a Musemarry White Privee dress for the couple’s first dance. A live band from Paris, Circus Music, kept guests on the dance floor late into the night. “Honestly, I don’t think anyone sat down after dessert.”
Reflecting on the day, Karena says, “It’s been months, but my friends are still talking about it. That’s what means the most to me—that people had fun.” Even now, she finds herself looking back through the photos. “Each picture just reminds me of the love we felt, and how happy everyone was. That’s what I’ll remember forever.” And as for married life? “We’re still doing what we’ve always done,” Karena laughs. “More hotpot. Always.”
Photo: Elena Baranchuk1/80In my Carolina Herrera dress for the welcome dinner.
Photo: Elena Baranchuk2/80Strolling through the hotel courtyard before meeting our guests for the welcome dinner.
