Korean director Kim Tae Yong and Chinese actress Tang Wei liked getting married so much they did it twice.
The couple first had a small informal wedding on July 12 on Faro Island in Sweden. They married at the estate of the late Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The island had special significance for Tang as it was the place the famous filmmaker spent his last years and, as an avid film buff, she had long wanted to visit the location. Only a few friends and family members attended their informal ceremony.
"As we began our new journey together, we not only began with a strong will, but also faced fear as well," said Tang and Kim in a statement released by her agency Bom Film Production. "But we are ready to walk together, hand-in-hand with love and respect for one another.
The couple wanted a small wedding but also recently had a more formal wedding in Hong Kong. Only immediate members of the family attended the Hong Kong wedding.
"Thank you for understanding and encouraging us even though we couldn't share all the parts of the ceremony," said the couple in a statement released by her agency.
Tang Wei, 35, became an international star after appearing in Ang Lee's film "Lust Caution" in 2007. She appears in two films this year, including "The Golden Era" and "Tale of Three Cities." She is signed on for three films in 2015; "Blackhat," Contemporary Musical Design For Living" and "The Ferryman."
Tang Wei met Kim, 44, in 2009 while they filmed the English language movie "Late Autumn" together. In that film she plays a Chinese immigrant who killed her husband. Her character meets a Korean gigolo, played by Hyun Bin. The film was a remake of a Lee Man Hee classic melodrama.
Tang Wei learned Cantonese for the film and her efforts won her a Baeksang Arts Award.
Tang Wei and Kim Tae Yong remained friends after the film wrapped. But when he visited China in Oct. 2013 to shoot a commercial they connected and decided to date. Things progressed quickly after that and they announced their plans to marry in July.
Kim is best known for directing the films "Memento Mori," "Family Ties" and "Late Autumn," for which he also wrote the screenplay. He is also an actor, producer, cinematographer and film editor.
This is Kim's second marriage as he and his first wife divorced in 2011. It is not known whether Kim Tae Yong has registered his wedding in Korea. Tang Wei's agency did release photos of the formal Hong Kong wedding, which show the bride in a simple Vera Wang gown.