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Robert Trathen
The terraces and turrets of luxe Auckland wedding venue Lone Pine Estate form the perfect backdrop for a fairytale romance. Celebrity Treasure Island star Edna Swart, in a gorgeous Grecian gown, glows in the arms of her partner Reid Stephen, giggling as the two pose effortlessly together for our Woman’s Day photo shoot.
And there’s a special reason for this cute couple’s love buzz – after only 10 months together, they’re engaged!
The Boss Babe is putting her skills into wedding planning
The pair met in early 2021, when 32-year-old Edna answered a TradeMe ad to rent the downstairs apartment of 27-year-old Reid’s North Shore home. He eventually became her landlord and, late last year, the live-in lovebirds revealed to us that they were both certain they’d found “the one”.
Yet somehow the proposal still caught Edna by surprise!
“I had absolutely no freaking clue,” laughs the CEO of skincare company Ed&I. “We’d been planning to visit The Landing winery in Russell for quite some time, and we’d had to cancel and rebook three times, so Reid knew I’d have absolutely no idea something was up going there – they were plans we’d had forever.
“It’d been sunny all week and then that day, it just started pissing down with rain. I was so down! I really wanted to wear this dress I’d bought especially, but I had to wear these mum jeans and a boob tube instead. It’s one of the bougiest wineries in the country – I didn’t want to wear jeans!”
Laughing, Edna continues, “That morning, I would never have thought that something was going on in Reid’s head. He was so calm and chill, trying to cheer me up. Finally, after a full winery tour and lots of wine tasting, followed by lunch, I was getting a bit tiddly and we were having a great time!
“Then dessert came along and Reid passed his phone to the waiter, which I thought was a bit weird – we’d already taken photos. Then all of a sudden, everything just happened! The chair pulled back and he pulled out this box.
I was like, ‘What? This is not what I expected – my nails aren’t even done!'”
Breaking into a big grin, Reid adds, “I knew she wasn’t going to be happy about that!”
The Hirepool manager was all prepared with a heartfelt proposal and had even googled the correct knee to kneel on (the left!), however, when the time came, all his carefully memorised lines went out the window.
Instead, Reid said, “I’ve incredibly enjoyed the time we’ve spent together so far and whatever our future entails, I just want to do it with you. Will you marry me?”
To which Edna replied, “S**t, yeah! Let’s get married!'”
Edna said “S**t, yeah” to the ring and a chopper ride!
The newly engaged twosome marked the occasion with Champagne, followed by a surprise helicopter tour of the Bay of Islands, which Reid had organised. “It was stunning!” smiles South African-born Edna.
The celebrations continued in Kerikeri, where Reid’s family had travelled up from Auckland to toast the happy pair and where Edna had a chance to show off the gorgeous engagement ring Reid had designed for his bride-to-be.
“The jewellery designer, Adrian Turner from Fifth Avenue Diamonds, knew Edna already, so he had an idea of what she would like – and obviously I’d get hints every now and again!” chuckles Reid.
“I’d sent him enough photos!” Edna confesses.
The beauty already has her dream gown sorted for the big day.
Reid’s final choice was a stunning oval-cut three-carat diamond set atop a delicate gold band, in which was set two smaller pink diamonds, Edna’s favourite gems, to represent each of their hearts.
“I know, it’s disgustingly cute!” grins Edna. “Reid’s quite a romantic.”
Though the engagement ring was the groom-to-be’s vision, the fast-approaching wedding is Edna’s domain – and she’s not wasting any time! The couple will wed almost exactly one year after they got together, this coming May.
“It’ll be cool because then our anniversary becomes our wedding anniversary too,” explains Edna. “People overcomplicate weddings. Getting married this fast has meant making some quick decisions, which is great!”
The bikini babe made a splash on Celebrity Treasure Island.
One such decision was realising that if she wanted her dream dress made by renowned Kiwi bridal designer Trish Peng, she would have to decide on a design within 24 hours. But the entrepreneur and Boss Babes star – recently nominated for TV Personality of the Year at the New Zealand Television Awards – is keeping mum on the details of her fabulous frock. “There are some things that will just not be spoken about till the day!” she says coyly.
The Auckland wedding venue, Glasshouse Morningside, was another quick choice and the affair will have a guest list of 80, which suits the bride and groom to the ground.
“We wanted a small wedding way before this whole COVID thing,” shares Edna. “It’ll be very intimate. I have quite a vision that I’m after, which is not your typical wedding. I’m going for a very specific feeling when you walk in there and what you’re going to experience. I want it to be full of life. It’s gonna be a lot!”
In the midst of planning, it isn’t lost on Edna that two very important people in her life will be absent from the celebrations – her birth mother, who will be unable to travel to New Zealand from South Africa due to border restrictions, and also her adoptive mother, who tragically passed away 12 years ago.
“Of course, I wish she was here,” says Edna, “but also I’ve realised I have to make peace with what’s been and be in the moment of life now. It’s so important to enjoy the people who are here.”
As for Reid, what matters most to him is the people, especially his future bride – and he couldn’t be happier with the whirlwind romance that has brought him and Edna to this point.
He smiles, “My dad said to me that it’s like when he met Mum – if you know, you know.”
