Micayla and Michael vowed to spend the rest of their lives together in front of their loved ones at St Luke's Presbyterian Church, followed by celebrations at Settlers Country Manor. Their day was filled with love, joy, and excitement.
Micayla mesmerised in Amadora by Sottero & Midgley, a satin A-line gown featuring a basque cat eye bodice embellished with beaded and sequin lace motifs and corset boning detail. The daring split adds a modern touch to the gown, while the covered buttons along the back add a classic, elegant finish.
Keep scrolling for a sneak peek into their magical day!
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I always struggled with the idea of a “dream dress.” How are you meant to choose just one gown for such a big day and feel completely in love with it? Looking back, I get it now. The moment I saw my gown, everything just made sense. I wanted a skirt that flared at the hips, with a corset that cinched my waist and highlighted my bust. I had always pictured a traditional wedding, so the dress had to reflect that. I kept thinking about the elegance and timeless feel of Victorian era gowns, and being a big history fan, that detail really mattered to me. Finding the one felt impossible at first. But just like choosing your forever person, when you know, you know!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
I started mood boarding my gown the second we got engaged. One design kept popping up: a gown by a New York designer that was completely stunning and completely out of budget. The price alone could make your eyes water. I had a clear idea of what I wanted, but I wasn’t having much luck finding anything similar. I started thinking I might need to pivot and go in a different direction.
Then I was browsing the Astra Bridal website and came across the “Amadora” by Sottero and Midgley. My jaw actually dropped. It was breathtaking. I emailed the team straight away, and the lovely Joannah replied to say it was a brand new arrival and hadn’t even made it to the store yet. They were only bringing in two sizes, so I just had to hope one of them would work for me.
I went in for measurements and booked a fitting for the following week. When I arrived that Saturday morning, I found out the dress had come in the day before. Joannah had quickly unpacked it, steamed it, and set it aside for me. My measurements sat between the two sizes they had ordered, so Joannah had even spoken with an atelier to work out which one would be the better option. I put it on, and it fit perfectly. I knew straight away it was my dream dress.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
I met Michael through his mum, Nicolla, when I was working with her. We'd seen plenty of photos of each other over the years, but the timing was never right, and we were never single at the same time. One day, Nicolla arranged for Michael to come in and have lunch with her, which I later found out was all part of her plan to get us to meet. I wasn't keen at first because I didn't want the attention, and everyone in the office knew she was scheming. So I went for a walk around the block with my workmate to avoid running into him.
But Michael, being notoriously late, didn't show up on time. By the time I had looped back and was standing outside the office, the elevator doors opened, and there he was. A couple of days later, Michael reached out, and we went for dinner. Two months later, he asked me to be his girlfriend at a roundabout in Hamilton. Not long after that, we spent lockdown together at his small place, and it was there, while we were scavenging bark for his Warhammer terrain, that we first said, "I love you."
Our proposal completely took me by surprise. I'd organised Michael’s 30th birthday at a bar in Silverdale and invited all our closest friends and family. We had set aside time for speeches, and Michael went last. I thought it would just be a wrap up and a "thank you to everyone for coming." I even joked that I was still waiting on a ring. The next thing I knew, Michael had passed the microphone, and our good friend was handing something to him. I saw it was a ring box, and time just stood still. He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so overwhelmed I could hardly process what was happening. The only thing I was sure of was that my answer was a very loud YES.
It turns out everyone in the room knew about his plan to propose, meanwhile I, the person who is meticulous and always has a plan or a list, had absolutely no idea!
What was your favourite part of the day?
My favourite part of the day was marrying my best friend! (Cliché, I know.) If I had to pick something else, it would be how wholesome it felt. There was so much laughter, tears, and irreplaceable time spent with family and friends. I sometimes reflect on the day and think, wow, some people travelled nationally and internationally, and some just drove across town, but everyone we love most in the world showed up to celebrate us.
It's a surreal feeling to look out at 100+ people and know that each of them took leave from work or carved out time from their busy schedules to be there for us. I was also really happy with how everything turned out: my makeup, hair, tan, the ceremony, and the little details like the hand-drawn designs on our signage that my best friend did, the personalisation, and the tribute to family and friends no longer with us.
Overall, it was just a really, really happy day, and I wouldn't change a thing.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The day was a blur! They say it goes quickly, and it absolutely does. We got married in the middle of spring, so it was touch and go. Our wedding was on a Friday, and I remember that Tuesday brought thunderstorms, but by the morning it was beautiful. I later heard someone say the night before that the sky had been pink, so they knew it was going to be a nice day.
I had planned to wake up last, letting everyone else get their hair and makeup done while I enjoyed some downtime. That plan fell apart immediately. We were behind schedule from the start. My sister needed to rewash her hair after letting it air-dry, and by the time I jumped in the shower, it was cold. I had incredibly long nails and couldn’t get my contact lenses in, so I needed help there.
We drove to the church in my favourite car, a 1968 red Mustang, bickering with my parents about the quickest route through Auckland traffic, and arrived just in time. One of our flower girls went to the wrong venue, so we started the ceremony with two out of three. I was shaking from nerves, and as someone prone to fainting, I felt it coming on strong. Luckily, I managed to keep it together, and the moment the ceremony ended and we all gathered outside, I could finally relax.
Michael and I drove to the reception together, listening to one of our favourite bands, enjoying the sun, and making the 40 minute drive just the two of us. It felt normal, like every other time we’re in the car together. When we got to the venue, we had a bit of downtime before the reception started at 5 pm. I got to enjoy a glass of bubbles, take in the venue, and laugh with our guests. People loved the couples’ games we had, even down to the personalised pencils.
Our food was perfect, captured by a quote from Schitt’s Creek: “Well, you don't want people coming to your wedding and only talking about the food,” to which David replies, “That is literally the only thing I want them talking about.” We played the shoe game, had our first dance, followed by my dad and me, Michael and his mum, and even a surprise dance with his Granna to a song dedicated to his late Grumps. Friends and family immediately hit the dance floor, keeping the vibe going.
By 11 pm, Michael and I were exhausted and ready to leave. We stayed at the Airbnb I had stayed at the night before, and the next morning went out for breakfast together. Sometimes I still think, “Wow, I’m married,” because nothing has really changed in our everyday lives, but that realisation always makes me smile.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but don't sweat the small stuff! I'm extremely meticulous and had every single moment of our big day planned down to the minute. What I found out pretty quickly is that the “perfect day” doesn't really exist. You might be stressed and anxious in the morning, maybe even snapping at your friends or family, but what's going to happen will happen.
For me, I was late, only ten minutes, but it felt huge. The aisle wasn't wide enough for my mum and dad to walk with me. I stumbled on the way in, I was shaking so much I almost dropped the rings, and the AUX cord didn't work, so there was complete silence while we signed the register.
At the end of the day, those memories of what went wrong start to fade. Try to spend as much time as possible with your new spouse, because it's your day. Don't get caught up chasing the perfect day, and don't worry about catering to your guests. They are there to celebrate you.
