Beautiful bride Mitiana and husband John tied the knot in September of 2022 at the Hibiscus Coast Presbyterian Church, followed by some gorgeous photos at the quaint and rustic Wainui Settler's Church. The reception ended the day, filled with their loved ones and paying homage to their Pasifika cultures of Samoa, Tuvalu, and Tokelau.
Mitiana wore the modern, fun, and simplistic Fatima dress by Maggie Sottero. Its full layered tulle skirt and luxe stretch crepe bodice compliment each other beautifully and make this dress a stand out in any setting.
Enjoy scrolling through and reading Mitiana's dress shopping experience, as well as some insight into their special day x
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
I’m a very basic kind of girl. I don’t like too much bling or glitter. I like plain and simple things and I think that’s why I fell in love with this dress. It was just the simplicity of it. It was so simple, yet modern and very elegant. I didn’t have to add much to it because I felt like the dress spoke for itself. I loved the buttons and the low-cut back. The thick straps and I especially loved the beautiful layers of material that made the bottom all puffy. That’s what made the dress really stand out for me.…it was just such a simple, elegant dress and I just absolutely fell in love with it.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Astra bridal on the North Shore was my first and only stop for a wedding dress. The ladies were super helpful and so patient. I had this vision of a simple, long sleeve, lacey, puffy bottom (like Cinderella) kind of wedding dress that I imagined myself wearing on my wedding day and I had told Chrissy the kind of dress I was looking for. She picked out the exact style dresses I had told her and then she picked out a completely different style from what I was after. I actually said no to it, but there was something about this dress that just kept capturing my attention. I ended up chucking it on the rack just to see how it would look if I tried it on. I think I tried on about two dresses before I tried on this dress and when I finally tried it on...I absolutely fell in love with it and I think my mum did too because she started crying. I tried about two or three more dresses after this one, but my mind was already made up. It was super fast and so easy and the dress that was completely different from what I was looking for…ended up being my wedding dress. So thankful to Chrissy for making this experience so quick and easy for me. I thought it would’ve taken me weeks to find a dress (which I was dreading), but I found my dress within a few hours.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
Me and John met at the start of 2019 in probably the most random way.. We met through his first cousin. Me and her are good friends and I was at her house one weekend just catching up and she was getting a FaceTime call from John (who actually lived in Australia at the time). She took the call and started chatting with him. Then she turns the phone and said, “I’m just with my friend Miti.. say hi.” We both awkwardly say hi to each other, but next thing you know.. a few days later he adds me on social media and we just started talking from there. He was so chill, good sense of humour, so kind and very respectful. He’s also so down to earth and that’s one thing I really liked about him.. his humbleness. Even when we finally met face to face, I thought it was too good to be true haha.
So this DEFINITELY isn’t going to be your normal, romantic, sunset dinner, down on one knee with a ring proposal.. but on Christmas Eve of 2021 we were still going through travel restrictions. John couldn’t make it over for Christmas so he FaceTimed my parents to say Merry Christmas. Unaware, he then asked for their permission for my hand in marriage. My mum was in tears and I know my dad was holding his tears back too, but they eventually gave John the thumbs up. After the call my parents were so excited and because I’m an only child my mum said, “OMG WE FINALLY GET TO PLAN A WEDDING!” - I then got a message from John saying, “I WAS SO NERVOUS!! But we’re finally doing it!” But while he messaged me, me and my mum were on our way to Countdown and once we had arrived I got a Facetime call from John. I answered and he says to me, “I forgot to ask you….. but will you marry me?” Hahahaha. So… not your average proposal, but honestly I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I just know it’s going to make a great story one day hahahaha
What was your favourite part of the day?
I had so many, but definitely one of my favourite parts of our day would be when our minister officially pronounced us husband and wife. It was just a relief knowing that we no longer had to count down the days of when we’d see each other again and that our long distance relationship had finally come to and end!
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Me and my bridesmaids got ready at my home. I wanted to get ready in the house I was raised in and I wanted the feeling of my grandparents (who have both passed away), to be with me as I was getting ready for my wedding day. By the time I was done with hair and make up, it was time to put on our dresses.
We had a few clouds in the morning heading to our ceremony that was held at Hibiscus Coast Presbyterian Church and also a few clouds and some showers during our photos which was at Wainui Church. But by the time we headed over to our reception at Malaeola Community Centre, it started to clear up. We didn’t take much notice of the weather once we arrived at our reception, because the hall was just completely packed with family and friends from near and far (a lot more than what we expected). John is Samoan and I am half Tokelauan, half Tuvaluan, so I guess you could say it was a “typical island wedding” haha. But it was amazing to see our three cultures come together. Of course there was a lot of dancing, a lot of food and dessert. A lot of laughter. A lot of tears and a lot of drunk people by the end of the night hahaha. But most importantly, a lot of memories were made. We loved every moment of our big day and are super grateful for our family and friends that celebrated with us!
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
ENJOY YOURSELF!! Soak up every moment of that day, because it comes and goes by so quick. And don’t stress about things that are out of your control… Just relax. Take it all in and enjoy your big day!
