A Tale of Two

They were introduced fleetingly as students in Auckland, and drawn to one another instantly although life took six months to intervene. When they crossed paths again at a university ball, the attraction that had flickered quietly became undeniable. “We’ve been inseparable ever since,” Alexa tells me, smiling.

"I was immediately drawn to how kind, funny, classy and stylish Alexa is," Heng recalls. For Alexa, Heng exuded “so much charisma and charm.” Still, there were cultural tests to pass. “Being from a Taiwanese immigrant family, I had to make sure Alexa could hold chopsticks properly before I introduced her to my parents,” Heng laughs. “Adequate skills would warrant extra brownie points.”

“I was immediately drawn to how kind, funny, classy and stylish Alexa is.”

Thirteen years on, the pair have lived in Jakarta and Taipei and spent six transformative years in London before recently returning to Auckland. “A lot of growing up and maturity has happened organically since we were 20 years old,” Alexa says. “Luckily we’ve been able to do it together and not stray apart. We never fail to make each other laugh, we prioritise one another and we know it’s not always perfect — but we’re always committed to working on what the other person needs.”

Six weeks before a holiday in Mexico, Heng had a revelation. “I suddenly realised that it would be the perfect time to propose,” he says. He designed a bespoke ring and arranged for a photographer to tail them along Tulum beach. “My thinking was that I only plan on proposing once in my life, and I knew we would cherish some kind of photo to immortalise it.”

By day four of the trip, he could barely contain himself. “I was practically bursting at the seams,” he admits. The beach was crowded, but he managed to find a quiet spot. “I got down to one knee and proposed,” Heng says. The moment was punctuated by cheers from strangers and an overzealous shutter clicking “inches away from our faces.” Alexa laughs: “The photographer was anything but subtle — but at least he got some good snaps.”

For their wedding, they envisioned something timeless and traditional, with subtle nods to both Heng’s Chinese and Alexa’s Jewish heritage. “We decided on Chelsea Town Hall,” Alexa explains. “We lived a short walking distance away our whole time in London, so it felt like the perfect way to finish up our amazing time there.”

From there, the celebration unfolded at Dartmouth House, chosen for its grand interiors and sunlit courtyard. “One of the main reasons we picked Dartmouth House was the beautiful courtyard, where we ultimately had our reception dinner al fresco,” Alexa says.

They each took the reins in planning: Alexa handling aesthetic details, Heng focusing on food, drink and entertainment. Their best friend Ellie, an accomplished event planner, offered guidance early on. “We were so relaxed the whole way through we kept thinking we must have overlooked something,” Heng admits.

The night before, they hardly slept. “We were like children the night before Christmas,” Alexa tells me. When Heng checked his phone at 5:45am, they both agreed the day had finally begun and London surprised them with brilliant blue skies.

After the vows at Chelsea Old Town Hall, they descended the steps in a flurry of petals. Their guests, an intimate gathering of close friends and family, followed to Dartmouth House. “We had the luxury of spending quality moments with everyone,” Alexa says. Heng pauses, “I’ll never forget how gorgeous Alexa looked,” Heng says. “Her face, her hair tied up in a bow, that wedding dress. She was beaming with joy.”

Speeches carried both humour and sentiment, “definitely a few laughs at my expense,” Heng admits. Later, the ballroom filled with music as they began their first dance to Can’t Help Falling in Love. Twenty seconds in, an Elvis impersonator burst into the room. “It was a sure way to get everyone on the dance floor,” Alexa smiles. The Hora followed, chairs hoisted high, laughter carried around the room.

For Heng, a bespoke Savile Row three-piece suit was the only thing he had ever wanted to wear to his wedding. “I gave a nod to my Taiwanese heritage by using frog fasteners on my waistcoat and a plum blossom lining,” he explains. For Alexa, her Viktor & Rolf Mariage gown was fate. “I only tried on one dress,” she says. “It ticked every box. I felt like it found me.”

Her Simone Rocha bow and jewellery borrowed from her mother-in-law added understated sentiment, while her Cartier fragrance — Baiser Volé — was added as the perfect finishing touch. “It felt elegant, romantic and very me.”

The flowers, created by Flur, introduced cultural meaning through colour. “We used pops of red as an homage to Chinese prosperity and luck,” Alexa says. Invitations and menus were inscribed in both English and Chinese, and the menu carried thoughtful notes of sesame and duck. “It was a way of weaving our families into the experience.”

The most personal touch, however, was the handwritten notes tucked into each place card. “Our friends still mention it,” Alexa smiles. “It was small, but meaningful.”

Looking back, the couple say the day was as close to perfect as possible. “Maybe just a few more family portraits,” Heng concedes. But what they remember most are the intangibles: the joy, the ease, the laughter of friends, the love that was woven through every moment.

Even now, Alexa tells me that she is still just as drawn to Heng’s charisma and charm as she was that first encounter. “His discipline and determination are inspiring, but it’s also the way he treats people that I love,” she says. Heng, meanwhile, credits Alexa as “the most kind, thoughtful, funny, beautiful, empathetic, cheeky, sexy, clever and affectionate partner I could ask for. She also keeps me humble.”

"The joy we have for doing everything and nothing together,” Alexa says, “that’s what makes it work.”

For the future, they hope for children, continued career growth, and more of the rituals that define them: food, travel, laughter. “One or two kids,” Heng adds. “Three if I’m lucky.”