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DWTS darling Loryn weds her forever dance partner

The reality TV star had a rocky lead-up to her romantic nuptials
Loryn Reynolds and husband Blair at their weddingPictures: Geoff Salisbury Photography. Hair: Robyn Munro. Makeup: Jaime Randell.

She’s waltzed, tangoed and even jived with hundreds of people, but on a hot summer’s day in Auckland, Dancing With The Stars NZ pro Loryn Reynolds married the dance partner she’s choosing for life – dashing groom Blair Smith.

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And the reality star also picked the perfect song to walk down the aisle to – Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The couple shared their first dance and kiss to the ’80s hit on their second date.

Loryn recalls, “In that moment, I thought, ‘Wow! This really could be something pretty special.’ It’s such a historical song for us and fits my journey as a dancer. About finding somebody to dance with who I have real, true emotions with.”

“But I’m not a very good dancer, though!” insists Blair. He walked down the aisle to his favourite football team Liverpool FC’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.

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The song title hit deeper for Loryn following a rocky lead-up to the nuptials, which saw Christmas, New Year’s Eve and her 30th birthday put on the backburner as her parents, Peter and Julie, were hospitalised.

After under-going prostate surgery, Peter developed an infection, which saw him fighting for his life with organ failure. “We didn’t know if Dad would make it,” shares Loryn.

Meanwhile, Julie has been dealing with non-cancerous brain tumours and when she caught a virus, it caused nerve damage that required a week in hospital.

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“I thought this stuff would happen in 20 or 30 years, so facing it now amid all these milestones has been a roller- coaster,” admits Loryn. “I just wouldn’t have got through it without Blair. He’s been my backbone. It confirmed I made the right decision to marry him!”

Loryn reflected on such ups and downs while sharing a special pre-ceremony moment with her The Traitors NZ castmate and longtime friend Colin Mathura-Jeffree, who encouraged her to “capture the moments and hold them close”, and offered good-humoured advice.

Loryn Reynolds and Colin Mathura-Jeffree
With suave Colin.

“Love is the most wonderful feeling in the world and for my beautiful, sweet Loryn to find a partner to experience new moments with is what makes marriage so sacred,” Colin tells us. “There will be moments she’ll look at him and feel she could move mountains to save him or drop on him… She should choose wisely!”

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After a sprinkling of rain, the skies cleared and Loryn sparkled as she walked herself down the aisle in a Champagne-coloured gown embellished with sequins and pearls. Having donned glitter while competing in Miss Universe NZ and appearing on DWTS, she initially considered a simple look. “But simple wasn’t doing it!” So she opted for a glitzy Eva Lendel dress from Natalie Rose Bridal.

Blair, who works in real estate and as a personal trainer, couldn’t believe how Loryn looked as she walked towards him. He gushes, “Her favourite actress is Marilyn Monroe and I instantly thought, ‘She looks like Marilyn but 1000 times better!’”

Adds Loryn, “Hollywood glam was my look! I was a bundle of nerves, but as soon as I saw Blair, I felt pure calm, warmth and love. All that anxiety fell away as I saw his beautiful blue eyes. He was so overwhelmed that he went in for a kiss as I reached him, which made everyone giggle.”

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The couple’s friend Paul Watson officiated the ceremony, while Loryn – who was raised Catholic – had a priest pal, Father Mark Napa, do a blessing.

Beautiful Markovina Vineyard Estate in Kumeū was the dancer’s dream venue.

In her vows, she promised to dream and celebrate with Blair, 30, forever.

“You will always be my happiest hello and hardest goodbye,” she said. “You make me unbelievably proud. I will never stop believing in you. In you, I have found my one – my forever person and true love.”

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Blair expressed how much he admires Loryn’s courage to take risks and pursue what she wants in life. “Your strength and determination inspire me every day. But it’s not just your courage that I admire. It’s also your boundless love and care for your family and friends. I can’t wait to see you pour that same love into our own little family.”

The newlyweds with (from left): Annie Ciampaglia, Tyler Reynolds, Daniel Kells, Jeremy Newson-Brown and Ben Ambrozik.

The couple, who met at the gym in 2020 and got engaged at the Colosseum in Rome, then exchanged rings. Loryn’s father, who is a jeweller, crafted them. She opted for two platinum and diamond bands to hug her teardrop-shaped engagement ring, creating a “sparkly trio”.

“The fact Dad made them while he was unwell is so special,” says Loryn. “We can pass them down through the generations.”

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The newlyweds then danced and dipped down the aisle as guests showered them with rose petals.

Just as she had two wedding rings, Loryn had two dresses, changing into a sparkly, low-back frock, also by Eva Lendel, which would allow her to move more freely for the couple’s first dance.

Loryn choreographed the number to Beautiful Crazy by Luke Combs, whose concert they attended three days earlier. It was a mix of American Smooth, New Vogue, ballroom, foxtrot and waltz.

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Loryn and Blair performing their first dance at their wedding
Blair is Loryn’s perfect partner in love and on the dancefloor!

“I felt stressed for two years about doing a wedding dance!” confesses Blair. “We practised enough that it was drilled into my brain. But the moment we walked through the curtains to start, I almost forgot the whole thing! Somehow I remembered and it all went amazing.”

Adds Loryn, “The dance was one of the biggest challenges because dance is my language. Having trained my whole life on how to perform, I had to let the barrier down and be true to my emotions towards Blair, rather than put a performance face on. I was so proud how he did and dancing with him as my husband felt amazing. I felt a genuine love while dancing, which I haven’t had with anybody before.”

Catching up with reality-star mates Eric and girlfriend Thea.
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The spins and dips got the thumbs-up from Loryn’s 2022 DWTS partner, Olympic rower Eric Murray, who attended with his girlfriend Thea Lyle. He tells us it was the best wedding dance he’s ever seen. Eric became close with Loryn and formed a “bromance” with Blair during the reality show’s ninth season.

“Blair and I would whip around to play nine holes of golf after training,” grins Eric. “We all became good friends, so it was great spending their wedding day with them and seeing their lives come together from when we were doing the show.”

With Loryn’s parents Peter and Julie.

While guests enjoyed a buffet dinner and wedding cake, plus a fun dessert cart full of lollies, there were tearjerker speeches.

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Both sister Tyler and Loryn were thrilled to have their parents there following their health scares. Julie lasted to the end, while Peter stayed longer than planned and chuckled all night.

Blair honoured Loryn’s late grandfather Charles Reynolds by heading out to his grave on the eve of the wedding in his tux. An emotional Loryn says, “After the ceremony, he handed me the photos with a heartfelt letter saying that my grandad’s with us, still guiding and protecting me. I sat there bawling. It was just so beautiful.”

It’s their family who inspire the couple as they kick off married life together. “Both our parents are still together, so we’ve been able to see really good marriages,” says Blair.

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Adds Loryn, “To commit to Blair in such a strong, powerful way aligns with the strength of our relationship. We were friends before we got together. It helps to have that strong grounding before finding the love that’ll see you through everything. The highs, the lows and the trauma.’”

The gorgeous couple can’t wait for the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

The newlyweds are now excitedly planning their next high. It’ll be a six-week European honeymoon, which will see them return to London and Rome. They’ll also visit France, Amsterdam, Italy and Croatia, and cruise around the Greek Islands – a gift Blair gave Loryn for her 30th.

Loryn’s also busy preparing to launch her dance business, which will initially focus on wedding couples preparing for their first dance. And amid all the fun, travel and business ventures, they’re itching to start a family.

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“I can’t wait to meet our little Reynold-Smiths one day!” enthuses Loryn.

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