Thanks PDLM - appreciate you had already answered a previous similar post but my situation changed as my employment in fact continued for the full year of my visa so there was no point trying to get an extension when I was still working.
It hasn't ended yet but will end before my wedding - (11 days if you remember...)
I went to Macau this weekend and on return asked if they would give me a tourist visa since my employment visa was soon running out, but they wouldn't while I still had a valid work visa.
I'm now confused as to when I can get the tourist visa. Am not bothered about getting permanent residency so I can get a tourist visa - was just annoying when I'd already tried, to have to leave HK exactly the day after my visa expires and not a day later. Presumably if I just do as you suggest and go on honeymoon, hoping to get a tourist visa on return, they will spot on departure that my visa has expired and I've effectively been staying here illegally.
As for the marriage, someone recently said that you don't actually have to be HK resident to marry here - so I wouldn't be doing anything illegally there. But I would have a short period of a few weeks of limbo in terms of status, that's true.
Thanks for the info about the automatic immigration gates - good to know!
K