Refined Romance: inside Chloe Zara Munro & Scott Munro’s elegant wedding

2 August 2022

By Fashion Quarterly

‘Relaxed’ isn’t a word that’s always associated with weddings, but Chloe Zara Munro and Scott Munro’s celebration was one of easeful elegance.

A lot can be done in three weeks. For Chloe Zara Munro and Scott Munro, co-founders of luxury haircare brand Chloe Zara Hair, 21 days was ultimately all it took to pull together their chic inner-city nuptials.

Their wedding date was originally set for August 21, 2021. Everything was lined up; Chloe’s sister had even flown home from Belgium for the occasion. However, four days out, lockdown had different ideas and the wedding wasn’t able to go ahead. Understandably, Chloe recalls that they were “absolutely devastated”.

Recalibrating, the couple decided to hold off and reschedule their big day for March 2022 — until Chloe had a gut feeling that they should bring the date forward to avoid a further postponement due to Omicron. As a result of her intuition, the decision was made to have a small wedding with 48 attendees at The Hotel Britomart in Auckland’s CBD.

With its refined appeal and earthy materials, the award-winning hotel designed by Cheshire Architects was a sophisticated yet welcoming backdrop for an intimate affair. It also did away with the stress that can come with having to organise catering and accommodation separate from your venue. Transportation also wasn’t an issue.

In imagining her two dresses, Chloe’s vision was for both to be “simple, classic and elegant”. This sentiment was echoed in the overall mood of the celebration, and no doubt felt by the couple’s guests as well. Auckland-based bridal designer Alice Hayes of Hayes Bridal crafted Chloe’s wedding gown, which the bride paired with Dior earrings and white pumps by Amina Muaddi.

“Alice is a perfectionist and her eye for detail is incredible,” says Chloe. “I also love her simplicity when it comes to wedding gowns. My dress was in a simple silk fabric but had stunning, tiny, hand-sewn buttons all the way down the skirt and lower arms.”

To prepare for the day, Chloe and Scott made themselves comfortable in The Hotel Britomart’s Landing suites with views of the Waitematā Harbour. Although border restrictions unfortunately meant that Chloe’s sister wasn’t able to make it back into New Zealand, Chloe was joined by her friend Elle, and hair and make-up artist Alexandra Stanworth of Beauty By Alexandra — who’s also a close friend.

“Our ceremony started later in the afternoon, so we had a lot of time to relax in our suites and have some beautiful food — and, of course, my darling little boy Albie came to visit throughout the day,” says Chloe. “The beauty of having two top suites meant he could easily visit both Scott and I.”

To round off this leisurely start, Chloe and Scott were also visited by their immediate family in the afternoon, during a pocket of “special time” ahead of the 4pm ceremony. For that, the pair had been given free rein to style one of the hotel’s The Libraries spaces, the Papuke Room — a light-filled zone with textural century-old bricks and ancient native timber. Florists Pine & Ginger embellished the understated backdrop with hydrangeas, amaranthus and greenery.

“It was the ideal space in which to have a small wedding with our close friends and family — and our little Albie,” says Chloe. “It wasn’t the easiest day for a two-and-a-half-year-old, but my family were amazing and made sure he had a decent nap. As you can imagine, a wedding is quite overwhelming for a toddler, but Albie was adorable and we just went with the flow. I actually held him for part of our ceremony because he just wanted a mummy cuddle.”

After the ceremony wrapped, the party transitioned to another of the spaces within The Libraries. Here, guests were greeted by a sculptural floral arrangement that echoed the backdrop to the vows. The “lounge vibe” set a cosy scene for enjoying champagne and canapés and soaking up the romance, while The Hotel Britomart team set about transforming the Papuke Room into a dining space for the reception.

“At two long tables with simplistic table settings, we had the most incredible feast,” says Chloe. “Scott and I love the food at [on-site restaurant] Kingi, and their approach to sustainability when it comes to food. It was all perfect and felt like a fun dinner party with family and friends.”

When the meal and speeches concluded, Chloe changed into her party dress: a ready- to-wear piece by Emilia Wickstead. The minidress was cut from an ivory cloqué, and had a sweetheart neckline and pin-tucked darts that contoured her waist.

Cutting the three-tiered confection of a cake made by Magnolia Kitchen kicked off this portion of the festivities. Then, local musician-and-DJ duo Nathan Haines and Jaimie Webster Haines entertained with an eclectic blend of tunes that saw the night come to a head the way any good wedding should — with plenty of dancing.

“Their music was so much fun, a mix of playlists and live music performed by Nathan,” says Chloe.

The efforts those closest to the bride made also ensured this special day was one that will go down in family history. “Even though my sister couldn’t be there, she wrote an incredible speech that I’ll never forget,” says Chloe. “My mother was so helpful with all the little details on the day, and my amazing friend Elle was by my side the whole time, keeping me calm and running around making sure everything was just right. I felt so lucky to have her there with me.”

As for Chloe’s favourite memory? “The special little moments that Scott and I had alone,” she smiles. “There were a few while we had our photos taken and I just loved being close to him and taking it all in. Our day was truly the most perfect day.”