About Us – Reylita & Stephan

When we began sharing our experiences with the many initial challenges of getting married in Germany or the Philippines, the response from others in similar situations was overwhelming

The waiting times are shockingly long, and the bureaucratic processes unusually complicated—or rather, nearly impossible.

After countless hours of online research and exchanging stories with other couples from different countries, we stumbled upon the option of getting married in Hong Kong by chance.

Getting married in Hong Kong was our last hope.

After further research into the process, it turned out that a wedding in Hong Kong was manageable and relatively straightforward. We planned everything thoroughly—short and sweet—and were finally able to get married in Hong Kong. A true day of liberation.

Shortly after our wedding, when Reylita was finally able to live with me in Germany, we realized just how great the demand and need was among other couples in Germany to also get married in Hong Kong — and in doing so, find the perfect solution.

It became a matter close to our hearts to share this special experience with other couples, with the best of intentions. To help others find the same joy and relief that we had found.

What began in 2016 with a handful of couples as a trial quickly gained momentum. Soon, we were faced with a big decision: should I quit my job and take the risk of fully committing to helping others get married in Hong Kong? The answer was clear: Yes.

What started from a laptop in our living room soon had to be placed on more stable and professional footing. We founded our company, (MIH – Marriage in Hong Kong), in Germany, along with a sister company in Hong Kong.

The next step was to create an appealing website that clearly explains the many advantages of getting married in Hong Kong – since this isn’t always immediately obvious or easy to understand.

In 2017, we still personally accompanied most of our couples through their weddings and the related administrative procedures. But it quickly became clear that, with growing demand, this would only be possible to a limited extent.

So, during our next stays in Hong Kong, we focused on building and training a reliable team of staff. It took a lot of hard work and effort, but in the end, we succeeded.

Another milestone came in 2018 — the launch of our English website. It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t just German couples struggling with the same bureaucratic challenges. It was time to go international and help couples from all over the world.

Our small business steadily grew, and by mid-summer, we had reached a major milestone — since our founding in 2017, we had helped over 250 couples take the first step toward a shared future through marriage.

But this success didn’t come easy. Especially with the increasing number of international couples — from countries ranging from Angola to Venezuela — the complexity of our planning process reached a whole new level.

Not only did the requirements of the Marriage Office in Hong Kong evolve, but the various conditions for applying for a family reunification visa after the wedding also became more diverse.

Our biggest task now was to guide couples of all nationalities through the marriage process while expanding our knowledge to better support future couples.

2020 began just like 2019 had ended—but then it slowly became clear that the world was heading toward a lockdown, including strict travel restrictions.

This marked the beginning of the most difficult time for us and our business. From one day to the next, none of our clients could travel to Hong Kong anymore, let alone get married there.

We had no choice but to reassure our clients and hope that the borders would reopen soon.

As if 2020 hadn’t already been difficult enough, the coronavirus and its consequences seemed to have no end in sight.

As a company, we stopped accepting new client requests and even shut down the shop on our website entirely. We simply couldn’t, in good conscience, take on any more bookings when there was no foreseeable end to the global restrictions.

On top of that, many clients who had already booked wanted their money back, while at the same time we felt a deep responsibility not to abandon our loyal staff in Hong Kong.

It was a razor-thin balancing act. More than once, we seriously considered filing for insolvency. Only through our personal savings and the support of family and friends were we able to stay afloat.

We granted all existing clients a lifelong right to get married with us—holding on to the hope that we could still help them in the future.

To be honest, there were many moments when we didn’t know what to do anymore. We simply hoped we’d somehow survive the financial impact of the pandemic.

In December 2022, the Moment Finally Came. After nearly 3 (!!) years of complete standstill, the day we had all been waiting for finally arrived — we were once again able to help couples tie the knot. It felt like Christmas and a birthday all rolled into one.

We were not only able to support our existing clients in finally getting married, but also began welcoming new couples from all over the world!

The first few months were challenging — rebuilding everything from scratch and carrying the financial burden took a toll. But we knew: from here on out, things could only get better.

We were back. Energized and full of joy.

Yours truly, Stephan & Reylita

P.S. A heartfelt thank-you to all our clients. It has always been, and will always remain, a matter close to our hearts — and a true pleasure — to accompany and support you on your path to a shared future.