Aerin Lauder, the granddaughter of the beauty industry’s grand dame, Estée Lauder, worked for the family business for over twenty years before starting the lifestyle brand, Aerin, in 2012. Her curated collection of makeup, fragrances, accessories, and objects for the home embodies the feminine, modern aesthetic she’s become known for, and during the height of summer, her shop can feel like a bit of an oasis—filled with all of the fun trappings of the season you could ever want. Think beautiful backgammon boards, cool swimsuits by Lisa Marie Fernandez, classic tennis looks by L’Etoile, and Mercedes Salazar’s fun gold hoop earrings with embroidered fruit hanging from the bottom. Aerin’s vibe lends itself so well to that perfect period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day—when the livin’ is just a little bit easier—that she even did a collaboration of mix and match outdoor/indoor tabletop and entertaining items with William Sonoma earlier this spring, inspired by her family’s place in Palm Beach (and of which we promptly bought practically ever piece!). Let’s be honest, if we could outfit ourselves and our home with everything from Aerin’s world, we would! So, it’s only fitting that her summer wedding ten years ago was a beautiful Hamptons’ affair. Here, we take a look back at that inspiring bridal moment.
First things first: Aerin met Eric Zinterhofer, now a founding partner of Searchlight Capital, at the University of Pennsylvania, and the two dated for two years before they got engaged. “He proposed in Paris. We had just gone to one of my favorite restaurants,” Aerin remembers. “The first person I called afterwards was my grandmother Estée.”
Aerin grew up going to her parent’s home in Wainscott on Long Island and always knew it would be the setting for her wedding one day. “We got married in June in a white tent filled with potted garden roses and peonies,” she says. “The tent was facing the pond nestled in a field of wildflowers. It was magical!”
When it came time to choose what to wear to complement this ethereal scene, Aerin looked no further than Oscar de la Renta. “I wore a white duchess satin off-the-shoulder dress with a full long veil,” she says. “I had fresh gardenias in my hair and carried a Lily of the Valley bouquet.” Eric was in white tie with a blue bachelor button flower on his lapel. Aerin’s attendants were also in Oscar de la Renta, wearing pale blue sleeveless gowns.
The ceremony was intimate and full of children. The service took place facing the pond, and then guests moved into an adjacent tent for a beautiful formal dinner. The evening, which was planned by Robert Isabel, was refreshingly old fashioned. “There were tons of flowers, and beautiful vintage glass and silver covered the tables,” says Aerin. Caviar and smoked salmon, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas were served for dinner, and an orchestra played throughout the meal to create an Old World ambiance.
There were only a few speeches given by the couple’s parents and the best man, which were all very touching and sentimental. After dinner, everyone moved into another tent for dessert (wedding cake and watermelon sorbet), Champagne, and dancing. The newlyweds kicked things off with “A Kiss Is Still A Kiss,” and then the bride spun around the floor with her father to “Thank Heavens for Little Girls.”
Afterward, the bride and groom cut the cake, and guests danced the night away. At around midnight, the newlyweds made their exit and then happily jetted off to Bali and Bora Bora for their honeymoon, with stops in Los Angeles, London, and Singapore along the way—making for an unforgettable trip and the perfect way to kick off their life as husband and wife.
Because her style is easy and unwaveringly chic—and her nuptials were in a word: timeless—we asked Aerin Lauder for all of her wedding-related recommendations. See below for her registry must-haves and honeymoon packing essentials.
