Society Insider: Kiwi heiress Georgie Wright marries Charles Forte

A guest list of more than 300, which included British royals, watched on as designer Georgie Wright married Charles Forte.

The London-based handbag designer is the great-granddaughter of Hugh Wright (the founder of the famous NZ fashion dynasty Hugh Wright Ltd) and daughter of fashion titan David Wright, the former owner of Max Fashions.

Her marriage to Charles Forte puts her at the centre of one of Europe’s most wealthy, and private, dynastic families. Forte is the son of Sir Rocco Forte, founder and chairman of family-owned luxury hotel group Rocco Forte Hotels, with an estimated net worth of more than $700 million.

The Villa Igiea in Palermo, Sicily. Photo / Getty Images

Georgie and Charles and their guests took over the entire luxury family hotel Villa Igiea, the same hotel Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s guests stayed at for their wedding last week.

UK society bible Tatler called Georgie and Charles’ nuptials the wedding of the season, with guests including Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank. However, it was Vogue that Georgie chose to document her celebrations.

Her extremely private, mainly London-based family all appeared in the extensive Vogue spread.

“I knew Georgie was getting married, but I didn’t realise there would be a massive Vogue spread, with the whole Wright family featuring,” one New Zeasland-based associate of the family tells Society Insider.

“That’s very un-David-like. In all his years in business, there are very few, if any, pictures of him.”

Charles Forte and Georgie Wright during their wedding celebrations in Palermo. Photo / Instagram @Ireneforte

David Wright and his wife Angela, with their three daughters, Olivia, Lucy and Georgie, moved from Auckland and made London their main base in 2006.

Since then, the Wrights have travelled home to New Zealand for summer holidays at their bach at Matarangi in the Coromandel.

They are known to be friendly with the families of merchant bankers David Richwhite and Sir Michael Fay – the pair’s Great Mercury Island spread looks back at Matarangi.

Richwhite is said to own a house around the corner from the Wrights in one of London’s wealthiest suburbs, West Kensington.

In 2010, the Wrights sold their mansion on St Stephen’s Ave, Parnell, and in 2018 purchased a penthouse apartment on Halsey St in central Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter.

All three Wright daughters attended St Cuthbert’s in Auckland and have kept up friendships with their private school circles over the years.

Georgie has known Charles, the vice-president of development at Rocco Forte Hotels, for nine years.

During that time, Charles worked his way up in the family business, while Georgie has carved out a fashion career of her own, working with Vogue and fashion houses including McQueen and Celine. Late last year, Georgie launched a luxury handbag label, The Veil, with her friend of 10 years, top UK model, actor and activist Adwoa Aboah.

Charles proposed to Georgie on the Island of Mustique in 2024.

Charles Forte and Georgie Wright during their wedding celebrations in Palermo. Photo / Instagram @Ireneforte

During its 2021 reopening, Charles lived at Villa Igiea for several months, with Wright telling Vogue that she popped back and forth “to see the villa’s turrets and terraces come to life”.

The pair and their guests took over the entire hotel, a 19th-century palazzo, with rooms costing $1600-$4000 per night and views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. They chose Palermo’s Cattedrale di Monreale for the ceremony.

The ceremony inside Palermo’s Cattedrale di Monreale. Photo / Instagram @Georgiewright1

Charles’ mother, Lady Aliai Forte, helped secure the Benedictine Cloister for the wedding dinner. Along with the cathedral, it is regarded as one of Sicily’s most important and beautiful landmarks.

Wright designed all of the dresses she wore during the two days of celebrations. The iconic Ascot dress, worn by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, was an inspiration for the wedding dress itself.

Georgie Wright in her wedding dress that she designed. Photo / Instagram @jazzydelisser

Wright also designed the blue, empire-style dresses for her maids of honour – sisters Olivia and Lucy, and Ruby Boglione, the youngest daughter of London’s Petersham Nurseries founders and hospitality entrepreneurs, Gael and Francesco.

In a nod to her homeland, the wedding cake was a giant pavlova.

Charles Forte and Georgie Wright had a pavlova wedding cake in a tribute to Wright’s Kiwi heritage. Photo / Instagram @jazzydelisser

“It was too fun, I’m so very happy,” Wright told Vogue.

Charles Forte and Georgie Wright at their wedding reception. Photo / Instagram @jazzydelisser

Now Is the Time: Arts Gala 2026 raises $285,000 for the arts

Saturday night at Auckland Town Hall was one to remember, as more than 320 artists, arts supporters and changemakers gathered for the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Arts Gala 2026, presented by ASB Invest.

Held under the theme Now Is the Time, the fundraiser brought together some of New Zealand’s leading creative voices.

Guests enjoyed a four-course dinner by Josh Emett and Glen File from Gilt Brasserie, accompanied by Craggy Range Prestige wines, Champagne Taittinger and Hummingbird Coffee espresso martinis.

Josh Emett and Jessica Palalagi at the Arts Gala. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata

Hosted by Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Kaiwhakahaere director Jessica Palalagi, the evening also featured Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi co-chairs Chelsea Winstanley and Hamish Edgar.

Tim Melville, Kiritapu Allen, Rudi Cole, Elizabeth Ellis, Lissy Cole and Chelsea Winstanley. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Tim Clarke, Kent Gardner, Andrea Hammond, Bentley de Beyer and Hamish Edgar. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata

Guests included major arts philanthropists, including Edgar’s wife Victoria; Jo and John Gow; angel investor Liz Aitken and private impact investor Rob Morgan; Jenny and Andrew Smith, formerly of Smith & Smith Glass; Women Entrepreneurs Fund founder Joy Shivas; chairwoman of the Edmiston Trust Lady Dayle Mace; chief executive at Evans Randall Investors Kent Gardner and his partner Ngaere Duff of Duff Design group; founder and chairman of Avanti Finance Glenn Hawkins and his wife Sonja; and Arrow Hill founders Bentley de Beyer and Dean Sharpe, alongside Arts Foundation sponsors Frank Jasper of ASB, and Nick Cowper of Hummingbird Coffee.

Ngaere Duff and Kent Gardner. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Bentley de Beyer and Dean Sharpe. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata

Other notable guests included Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Dame Theresa Gattung, comedian Guy Williams with his girlfriend, dancer Lucy Lynch, and chef Peter Gordon. The evening closed with a powerful performance from 2011 Laureate Whirimako Black, joined by Salmonella Dub SoundSystem featuring Mighty Asterix and Pete Wood, before DJ Samuel Holloway took over the dance floor.

Lucy Lynch and Guy Williams. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Rachel and Josh McBride. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Kirk Hope and Tess Lawrence. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Lady Deborah Chambers and Loukas Petrou. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Alberllie Carey, Alliv Samson, Jessie Wong and Caroline Hill. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Tanea Heke and Andrea Hammond. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata Pelenakeke Brown and Lisa Reihana. Photo / Jinki Cambronero and John Rata

Special PR’s 5 birthday

Leading agency Special PR threw its fifth-birthday bash last Thursday at Studio 230, on Ponsonby Rd, where 150 clients, media and friends gathered to toast Kelly Grindle and his team.

Guests were poured Cloudy Bay Pelorus and Minuty rosé, Heineken cocktails, Heineken, Monteith’s and Export Ultra. And in a nod to one of the agency’s best-loved clients, the kitchen sent out a late-night run of KFC Zinger burgers and popcorn chicken.

Among those raising a glass were Moet Hennessy NZ and Pacific Islands GM Lisa MacKenzie and Cloudy Bay global brand manager Rachel Beere, Air New Zealand head of communications Elle Holdich and head of brand Kathryn Cunningham; Whittaker’s chief marketing officer Soraya Cottin; and Restaurant Brands’ KFC marketing director Leanne Too. One NZ’s head of brand, Susannah Winger, was also in the room, alongside New Zealand Fashion Week director Liam Taylor and restaurateurs Josh and Helen Emett.

Rachel Beere and Mikayla Ngare at Special PR’s fifth-birthday bash. Photo / Felix Jackson Susannah Winger, Emma Cleal, Jane King and Hayley Motson. Photo / Felix Jackson Tony Bradbourne, Kelly Grindle and Michael Redwood. Photo / Felix Jackson Claire Bradbourne and Jolene D’Souza. Photo / Felix Jackson Anna Lee, Monika Barton and Sarah Templeton. Photo / Felix Jackson Kelly Bertrand and Rachel Duignan. Photo / Felix Jackson Lisa Mackenzie at Special PR’s fifth-birthday bash. Photo / Felix Jackson

Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.