Harriet Williams' former best friend of 20 years raises eyebrows with telling act as her ex-husband Andy El Bayeh marries his new bride in Lebanon

A brutal friendship breakup has cast a shadow on the lavish wedding of a Bondi playboy and his Melbourne socialite wife. 

Andy El Bayeh, CEO of culture agency Example, wed Raquelle Saba (known online as Red Shiraz) in Beirut over the weekend, with scores of guests descending upon Lebanon's stunning Mediterranean coastline for the opulent affair. 

But amid the feasting, dancing and drinking, an apparent social rift has raised eyebrows among Sydney's Eastern Suburbs set.

Mel Coates, the former best friend of Andy's first wife, wealthy socialite Harriet Williams, has been publicly showing her support for the newlyweds.

The brunette has been publicly liking Raquelle’s pre-wedding posts, such as one showing the glamorous podcaster posed in a white dress two weeks before her wedding.

'Practicing wearing white,' Raquelle captioned the post.

She also notably liked the couple's engagement post on January 7, posting a series of love-heart emojis in the captions. 

Mel's social media activity has attracted attention given the reported history between herself and Harriet, who were friends for around two decades.

According to insiders, Mel ended her friendship with Harriet not long after her split from Andy in 2024, and quickly aligned herself with her former best friend's ex-husband and his new wife.

Tellingly, the former besties no longer follow each other on Instagram. 

Meanwhile, Andy and Raquelle looked every bit the glamorous couple as they celebrated their nuptials.

The pair, who have been dating for just over a year, married in Beirut during a seaside ceremony in front of friends and family. 

The festivities began with a pre-wedding dinner party, with guests treated to a poolside feast on the grounds of an exquisite 1800s monastery. 

Raquelle, who hosts sex and dating podcast Sugar and Spice, opted for a corset-style lace gown that featured a high-low fishtail hemline, designed by Melbourne designer Lillian Khallouf. 

The brunette wore her long hair out in voluminous mermaid waves and accessorised with a diamond tennis necklace. 

Andy, meanwhile, looked suave in a beige suit jacket, black button-down shirt and cream trousers. 

A day later, the happy couple exchanged vows at an opulent church before spending the rest of the day dancing and feasting. 

Raquelle stunned in an ivory strapless Lillian Khallouf gown with heavy lace detailing and a removable skirt. 

She once again wore her hair out and completed her bridal look with a diamond necklace, lace veil and white bouquet. 

Andy meanwhile sported a white suit jacket, white button-down shirt and black trousers, paired with a white bow-tie. 

Andy was once considered one of the most eligible men in Sydney after splitting from wealthy kinesiologist Harriet after just two years of marriage in 2024. 

The popular Eastern Suburbs couple tied the knot in a fairytale $1 million wedding in March 2022 after four years of dating. 

The couple are said to have abruptly ended their six-year relationship during a European holiday with other couples.  

Sources close to the couple confirmed the separation to the Daily Telegraph, with the reports shocking Sydney's social set.

The couple had been posting very loved-up images together as they travelled around Greece and Italy.

However, the pair then unfollowed each other on Instagram amid reports of their very sudden break-up.

In June 2025, Andy confirmed he was off the market again when he was pictured kissing Raquelle in an Instagram post by Wittner Shoes heiress Lucy Rosenberg.

The couple also looked thoroughly loved-up in August as Andy wished Raquelle a happy birthday.

He uploaded a picture of the couple locked in an intimate embrace, with Andy shirtless as Raquelle flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a brown bikini.

'Happy Birthday, Hayati,' he wrote in the caption.

Hayati translates to 'my life' in Lebanese Arabic; Andy is Lebanese-Australian.