Harriet and Scott Lai had been together for about three years before they decided to get engaged, while on a camping trip at Lake Wainamu for Harriet’s birthday. Celebration was already in the air, and the setting couldn’t have been more romantic - stunning lake views, no cellphone reception, cheese platters... More of a ‘glamping’ situation, if you will.
Enjoying their picnic at the edge of the lake, Scott added the final touches to the cheeseboard and then said ‘one more’, pulled out a ring box and asked Harriet to marry him. It was a very quick yes from the birthday girl, and they enjoyed the next 24 hours at Bethells Beach, content with keeping the exciting news to themselves.
Deciding to get married isn’t a given for most young couples these days, but for Harriet and Scott, making their relationship ‘official’ felt great. They also believed a wedding would be a nice opportunity to celebrate their love with their nearest and dearest. “This was definitely enhanced by a few years of lockdowns and missed celebrations,” says Harriet, “we were all ready for an occasion to celebrate!”
The couple weren’t deterred by the stress that inevitably comes with planning a wedding, either. Harriet had been an event manager for years and had some great, trusted suppliers in her contacts, which made the whole process simple and enjoyable - just like they hoped their wedding day would be. Her vision was for something classic, timeless, and importantly, fun - for their guests and themselves.
Deciding on her wedding ensemble was surprisingly straightforward for Harriet. As soon as she saw the ‘Kiss’ dress by Karen Walker, she knew it would be the one.
“It was the first one I tried on and I instantly loved it! It felt very ‘me’. I loved that it was short and easy to move around and dance in – and, it has pockets!”
For shoes, Harriet splashed out on a pair of monochrome Dior slingbacks that she’d always wanted, justifying the splurge as she knew she’d wear them well after the wedding. Her bridesmaids probably felt that way about their outfits, too - the simple dress code of “just wear something black” looked impeccably stylish, especially in the black and white photographs, captured by Haute Weddings.
Scott looked sharp in a Cambridge suit, accessorised with a classic Gucci tie, belt and loafers. The couple’s rings were from Meadowlark - a simple narrow band with diamonds to match Harriet’s engagement ring, and a classic gold band for Scott.
Harriet’s sentimental touch infused every detail - even the postage stamps on their wedding invitations were personalised with a picture of the couple at their engagement party. Her new black Yu Mei ‘Scrunchie Vi’ handbag was hot stamped by Jessie Wong’s team with the couple's wedding date, and she wore a pair of stunning emerald and diamond drop earrings borrowed from her bridesmaid, serving as a reminder of their friendship.
On the morning of the wedding, Scott gifted her a beautiful bracelet to complete the outfit, and then she was left in the capable hands of Greer Melrose who styled her hair in a simple low chignon and created a pretty, neutral makeup with a bright red lip. Finally, a spritz of Gucci Bloom (Tom Ford Orchid for Scott) and the bride was ready to walk down the aisle to Leon Bridges’ ‘Beyond’.
The wedding ceremony and reception hosted 70 guests at the beautiful Mantells courtyard, its el fresco vibes reminiscent of an Italian villa, only in the slightly more accessible location of Mt Eden.
“We wanted the ceremony to be short and sweet so we could all enjoy more of the day,” says Harriet. “We wrote our own, pretty short vows that followed the usual format but felt a bit more us than the traditional ‘honour and obey’.”
Having planned her fair share of events, Harriet admits she can be fussy and has high expectations, but Mantells exceeded every possible one. “The lovely Jane looked after us, and she honestly thought of everything – from advice at the rehearsal for me to be on the opposite side to my parents so they could watch me in the ceremony, to appearing with my handbag for lipstick touch ups, and pre arranging a bottle of champagne and flutes for us to take to photos.”
Another big reason Harriet chose Mandells: “You can bring all your own wine! This meant we could have Veuve Clicquot flowing all night, plenty of French Rosé and reds and whites to cater for everyone’s taste. They also had a fridge well stocked with beers and Pals for us!”
All guests - including friends that were pregnant, coeliac and vegan - had a delicious range of canapes to nibble on, followed by plentiful courses of beautiful, shared plates.
Petit fours for dessert were served in the courtyard, so friends and family could move around before the special wedding cake moment. Harriet’s friend Claudia Long (@sweetcheeks) was behind the incredible two tiered creation – a layer of decadent chocolate cake with raspberry and one burnt butter, dulce de leche Vietnamese coffee, decorated simply with a beautiful hydrangea on top.
Harriet’s understated yet impactful theme carried throughout the venue. Davina from Vida Flores, a florist Harriet has worked with through her whole career, lined the tables with beautiful green wreaths and created four simple white bouquets, tied with black grosgrain ribbon to match Harriet’s shoes.
“As usual, she required very little brief and blew me away with her amazing creations… mine were gorgeous tuberoses and then there were tulips, roses and freesias for the girls.”
To capture the precious memories, Harriet and Scott trusted photographers Julia and Cam from Haute Weddings, whose aesthetic and candid style they loved. “We didn’t want too many posed shots, and they were very efficient at getting the bridal party and family shots and then capturing the vibe of the day. We did ask that nobody take photos or post on social media as we wanted everyone to enjoy the day – and I didn’t want our professional shots to be of everyone with their phones up!”
A nod to their engagement, Scott and Harriet snuck away for a few photos at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, just the two of them. “It was so nice to have that time out together, and the photos we got are my favourites.”
As the sun went down back in Mantell’s courtyard, the cosy warmth of the fireplace kept good conversation (and Cliquot) flowing. Later the bride and groom were gently persuaded to share their first dance to an aptly classic tune, Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’, before friends and family relieved them of their “awkward dance spotlight” and joined in the dancefloor action, which DJ Alisha kept pumping all night.
Sore heads and dancing feet were all soothed the following day at a BBQ hosted by Harriet’s parents - something of a Kiwi tradition - to ride out their wedding high and spend some quality time with those guests they didn’t get the chance to talk to on the day.
Reflecting on her wedding, Harriet has no regrets about the time and money that went into the little details, although she admits “it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of weddings and spend silly amounts on things that don’t matter.”
No doubt helped by her event planning prowess, “we saved hard for what we wanted and thought carefully about where to spend the money.” Things like pre-purchasing the Champagne when it was on special, shopping around for well-priced wines, and choosing a venue that covers everything you need makes all the difference. And one thing she for sure doesn’t regret splurging on - those Dior shoes.
