On a drizzly Auckland day in October of 2022, Akiko and Eranda vowed to spend the rest of their lives together surrounded by their loved ones at the gorgeous Abel Estate. As Akiko states in this blog post, the rain, although a surprise, added so much romance and magic to their day and made for some spectacular photos.
Akiko's bridal look composed of four Astra Bridal pieces; the gown being Kaysen by Maggie Sottero, which to our excitement she also added the matching Kaysen overskirt for that absolute showstopping look! Husband Eranda came to the appointments and was also a big fan! She then opted for our separate Stevie bishop sleeves and finished the look with our porcelain flower headband.
There are so many beautiful images to scroll through, so enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
The dress was so STUNNING. When Elysia pulled out the detachable skirt it was game over for me. It was so beautiful I couldn't resist saying no.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I came into the experience not really knowing what I wanted for myself. It was hard for me because my mum was overseas and couldn't join me in person due to Covid restrictions at the time. My now husband came with me instead and he helped me a lot. Simultaneously taking videos of the different options on one hand and video calling my mum on the other.
The Astra Bridal team was amazing, they made me feel confident and were so comforting. They gave me lots of professional advice on the dress and the fitting of the dress. I ended up choosing the first dress I tried on so they were spot on with the choices. They were so helpful and very cooperative, I came in a few times after to try on accessories such as detachable sleeves and headband, they were so patient with me and I never felt rushed at all.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Our wedding day was a wet weather wedding. If anyone reading this is worried about rainy weather on your wedding day, let me tell you, it will make your special day even more magical and unique, our photos say it all. It was honestly such a beautiful day, seeing all our family and friends gathered in one place together made us so happy.
What was your favourite part of the day?
It was wet and rainy, Eranda and I had escaped the crowd to do some solo photos with the photographer outside. We had a moment to ourselves it was quiet and we felt the rain droplets fall on us as we were standing outside in the rain, we were holding each other and this moment was so romantic!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
It's all worth it! It may be stressful and tiring leading up to your big day but take big breaths, things will fall into place. Just remember at the end of the day you are marrying the love of your life and that is all that matters. The day will fly by so fast so just remember to ground yourself and be in the moment.
