Faith and Niko vowed to spend their lives together surrounded by their loved ones at the beautiful Peace Chapel in Apia, Samoa. With God and love at the heart of the day, the celebrations continued at Taumeasina Island Resort, where the newlyweds enjoyed unforgettable moments with family and friends. The photos capture the joy, happiness, and heartfelt celebrations that made their wedding day truly special.
Faith wowed in Fiona by Maggie Sottero, a beaded traditional lace fit and flare gown. The dress featured a sweetheart neckline, a sparkling glitter tulle layer throughout, and a stunning scalloped illusion lace train that added an extra touch of elegance. She completed the look with our cathedral length cut edge veil, a classic and complementary finishing touch.
Keep scrolling to see stunning photos from the day, a glimpse into Faith’s dress shopping journey, and her heartfelt advice for brides to be. Enjoy!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I absolutely loved the way I felt in the dress. I truly felt beautiful, and I don’t think people would have expected me to choose a wedding dress like that. It was different, but in the best way. What really won me over was the lace detail. Every pattern was carefully and beautifully crafted, making the dress all the more captivating to look at.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I first came across Astra Bridal last year when I was helping my older sister, Evanalia, find her wedding dress. She had such an amazing experience there, and all the dresses were so beautiful that I knew I wanted to come back when it was my turn.
To be honest, I really wanted a dress made with the same Mikado fabric as my sister’s, but I also knew Mikado and the heat in Samoa would not be a good mix, haha. When it came time to choose, I found myself stuck between two dresses: Marsha, which was strapless and a stunning pearly white, and Fiona, which was also strapless and beautifully detailed with lace.
Fiona was completely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t even want to try it on at first, but my wonderful consultant, Courtney, encouraged me to give it a chance. The more I looked at myself in the mirror, the more I fell in love with it. Even though it took me a while to finally choose Fiona, deep down I think I always knew she was the one; I just needed a bit of encouragement.
I’m so thankful to Courtney for making the whole experience so special, and of course to my favourite and harshest critics, my mum, sister, and aunties, lol.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
I like to say Niko was sent to me from God. I was 17 and on FaceTime with my cousin. She and I had just said a prayer, and I kid you not, part of my prayer was, “Dear Lord, I pray for a boy who is a Christian, plays rugby, loves his family, is Samoan, and preferably from St Peters.” Don’t ask me why I said preferably from St Peters, haha.
A few months went by, and then Niko requested to follow me on Instagram. Although I had no idea who Niko was, I accepted his request. He uploaded a video to his story, so I replied to it because I thought it was funny. Little did I know he would reply back to my message, confessing his feelings for me, haha.
He said to me, “I think I have a crush on you, but I’m just saying how I feel. You don’t have to look into it heaps.” He was a very straightforward 17 year old, lol.
We started talking, and then on 11 January 2018, he asked me to be his girlfriend. The rest is history, and he is exactly the man I prayed for and more. We had been dating for six years when Niko proposed.
We went up to Coopers Beach with his family after Christmas, and on 30 December 2023, he took me up to the Par, which is a beautiful lookout in Coopers. With both our families surrounding us, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
What was your favourite part of the day?
My favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle with my parents. I am the youngest of my siblings and the last grandchild to carry the Pa’ū last name. It was a bittersweet moment because I knew I was leaving the covering of my parents and stepping into a new season, one where I would now come under the covering God has placed over my marriage. In that walk, I felt so much gratitude to the Lord for the gift of my family, and peace in knowing He is faithful to guide me into this next chapter.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
In December and into early January, Samoa was hit with heavy floods. Parts of the town were underwater, power was out in many places, and cars couldn’t even get through the streets. But the day we landed, the skies were clear and blue, and the scenery was so beautiful you would never have guessed that Apia had just been through flooding.
The day before the wedding, it rained on and off, pouring down one moment and clearing the next. Still, I had no fear. I knew the Lord would provide, as He always does. And sure enough, the morning of our wedding, we woke to perfect sunshine. It was very hot, but it was the kind of weather you pray for on a day like that.
Getting ready was a little stressful. Even though our ceremony wasn’t until 3 pm, the girls had to start hair and makeup at 7 am. By late morning, we were all starving and a little hangry, so we were very thankful when the groomsmen showed up with food. In the end, everything came together, and we only arrived about 15 minutes late, which isn’t too bad for a Samoan wedding, haha.
The ceremony itself flew by. One moment I was walking down the aisle with my parents, and the next I was walking back out with my husband by my side. Afterwards, we took family photos at Peace Chapel before heading to Taumeasina Island Resort beach for our bridal party photos. Thankfully, the tide was low that day, unlike the day before when the beach was almost swallowed by the water. We were able to take some beautiful photos on the sand before Niko and I had our portraits taken, and then made our way to the reception.
Everything about the reception was perfect, from the bridal party entrances to the food, the speeches, the performances, and of course, a touch of fa’asamoa. It was truly the best night of our lives, being surrounded by so many of our friends and family who love us. All glory to God.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
My advice for brides-to-be is this: when you wake up on the morning of your wedding, don’t worry about a thing. Let go of yesterday’s problems and don’t stress over the little details. From the moment you wake up, enjoy the day; it really is all about you (and the groom, lol). Let your bridesmaids and groomsmen handle the running around if anything comes up. Be present, put your feet up, and relax before the ceremony.
I made the mistake of trying to do too much that morning and even forgot to eat breakfast, haha. However, I honestly still had the best morning of my wedding with my girls. So don’t stress, just soak in every moment of your beautiful day.
And one more tip: make sure you both eat at the reception. Niko and I didn’t, and we were starving by the end of the night. Still, we wouldn’t change a thing. Our day couldn’t have been more perfect without the prayers of both our families. We are so blessed to have an amazing village who support us in all that we do. Thank you, Lord, for the most perfect day. I love you, Niko Jones, hehe.
