Inside Hong Kong–based It-Girl Feiping Chang’s Wedding Extravaganza in Capri

Feiping Chang, an Instagram fashion star and the founder of the lifestyle website xoxoFei.com, and financier Lincoln Li’s wedding was over three days in June. It all started with a welcome dinner at the well-known restaurant Da Paolino in Capri, Italy, on the 15th. An all-day seaside party at Conca del Sogno in Nerano commenced the next morning, and then the main event was on the final day of the meticulously planned destination wedding weekend. But before the stunning Amalfi Coast setting had been decided upon, the multiple custom Giambattista Valli dresses commissioned and designed, and the hashtag populated with more than 500 posts, there was a meet cute in Myanmar. The two met there in 2014 through mutual friend Ivan Pun, the son of real estate mogul Serge Pun and the young entrepreneur attempting to revitalize the Southeast Asia nation formerly known as Burma. About two years later, Lincoln proposed at Huka Lodge in Taupo, New Zealand, on Feiping’s birthday. He lured me to the lake one day under the pretense of a sudden interest in trout fishing,” recalls Feiping. “So I was wearing the most hideous anorak with jeans and boots. We got to the lake, got in a little rowboat, and he proceeded to row us around a group of ducks that kept swimming away from us.”

At some point during the excursion, a microphone battery pack fell out of Lincoln’s jacket and Feiping began to suspect that the “tourists” on the shore snapping photos of the scenery might actually be taking pictures of the two of them. “All of a sudden, it dawned on me that the whole setup was a hilarious attempt at recreating that romantic scene from The Notebook,” admits Feiping. “After that, the proposal all happened very quickly, as I was laughing hysterically. I only heard from him later that it was duck hunting season in New Zealand, and he had to source a few hundred ducks from duck breeders just to deposit into the lake. It was all very thoughtful—an imperfectly perfect proposal.” Having spent summers vacationing in Capri together, there was no doubt about where they wanted to have their wedding when they started planning the extravaganza with Diana Sorensen of Sugokuii Events. Once they started scouting locations, they quickly fell in love with Villa Lysis. “The architecture and the mountaintop location are incredible,” says Feiping. “It also has a romantic, almost mystical history, and holds a lot of sentimental value to the people of Capri.” The local government had never allowed a wedding to be held there, so Feiping and Lincoln felt incredibly lucky and honored to be the first, and to help in the restoration of a historical monument. “It was especially meaningful to us to build a bridge that connects the gardens to the previously inaccessible rooftop, and knowing that more people will be able to enjoy the refurbished villa in years to come,” notes Feiping.

They wanted the environment to feel luscious yet intimate, for the decor to feel organic to the architecture and settings, and to have little surprises around every corner of the villa grounds. The flowers they chose all had a wild, almost overgrown, look to them. The plates by Laboratorio Paravicini were made to match the shade of the velvet sofas they’d custom built, and the tiles used on each table were antique Vietri tiles in a pattern from the same architectural era and style as Villa Lysis.

“We also wanted to involve the local community living around the villa, so in order to take the guests up to the mountaintop, we transformed carts that usually only transport goods by adding sofas, canopies, and custom license plates,” explains Feiping. The carts stopped at various spots along the way where groups of traditional Scialapopolo folk bands would sing and dance with the guests. The local grocer decorated his fruit stand with special signs and handed limoncellos out to everyone passing through. Residents came out of their houses and onto the streets cheering “Auguri!” (or “Best Wishes!”) as the wedding procession passed by. “The warmth and spirit of everyone we encountered made everything that much more special,” says the bride.

Feiping always knew that when the time came, she would wear Giambattista Valli on her wedding day. “For the ceremony dress, I wanted a dramatic tulle creation that felt like a fantasy brought to life,” she explains. “Giamba really went above and beyond and created a spectacular masterpiece. I felt like I was wrapped in a cloud pulled right from the sky.”

For the reception dress, she went for something much lighter. The gown was made entirely of silk chiffon and strewn with pink silk petals that were crafted and dyed to match the floral elements of the reception space. Her jewelry was from Nirav Modi, who specializes in unique Jasmine-cut diamonds set in minimal metal, the results were pieces with an airy quality to them. Beauty-wise, she kept the hair and makeup natural and clean so as not to take away from the gowns and jewelry. Meanwhile, Lincoln wore a custom blue tuxedo from Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria, and the bridesmaids were all in white dresses designed by the bride’s friend, Han Chong of Self-Portrait.

The ceremony took place in the gardens of the villa, facing the sea and overlooking a breathtaking view of Capri. “We wanted the natural beauty of the location to be the focus, so we wrapped the tree trunks in white peonies and covered the entire floor in wildflower heads,” explains Feiping. Guests sat on cushion-lined stairs that led from the doorway of the villa to the garden, and the bride walked down the aisle with her father to “Pachelbel’s Canon in D” played by a local string quartet.

At dinner, a classic Campania menu of vitello tonnato, scialatielli pasta, and local sea bass was served by chef Andrea Migliaccio, followed by a dessert spread of every Italian sweet imaginable. The wedding cake was a traditional millefoglie with layers of wild strawberries and cream, prepared by chefs in front of the guests right after dinner.

At the end of the meal, Lincoln gave the final toast of the night. “I always teased him about the fact that he never actually got down on one knee when he proposed, as we had been in a rocking rowboat,” laughs Feiping. “That said, I never expected him to get down on his knee on our wedding night, after a stirring speech that left not a dry eye in sight. That was the most unforgettable moment for me.”

Following his toast, guests had the opportunity to go into a “video room,” where they danced to Italian disco music in a floor-to-ceiling mirrored space with an LED backdrop. As the cake was cut, fireworks were set off from the sea. The first dance song was sung by the couple’s dear friend Geoffrey Chuang, and towards the end of his performance, confetti canons went off that covered the sky in white and gold. Guests danced until the wee hours of the morning as freshly made pizzas and bomboloni were passed around for an energy boost!