Mo + Miri // A Modern, Minimalist wedding at Sid at The French Café

An intimate wedding soiree at this inner city oasis. The exposed stone walls of Auckland’s French Café provided the perfect backdrop for Mo + Miri in a beautiful ceremony with their closest friends and family.

Captured beautifully by Zanda Photography and featuring florals by Roses Florist Mt Eden – muted tones of blush and white made for a stunning fusion of traditional sophistication and contemporary chic.

How did you meet and how long have you been together?

We first met back in 2012 when we were both students at the University of Auckland. We met but never actually hung out because we had very different interests back then. But in 2019, after 7 years of no contact, we started talking again and eventually that turned into become boyfriend and girlfriend. Our relationship started as a long distance as Mo was working in Singapore and Japan, and Miri was living in NZ at the time. Long distance during COVID wasn’t fun at all but we managed to stay together and ultimately become husband and wife.

How would you describe each other?

Mo: I would describe Miri as a cheeky, caring, and loving individual. She is always keen to have fun and really values the relationships that she has with the people around her, whether that be her family, friends, or work colleagues.

Miri: I would describe Mo as a kind, caring, funny and hard-working person who knows how to love and respect others. Whether it’s his lover, family, friends or colleagues, he genuinely gives all his heart to make sure they feel valued and loved. He is the most perfect partner that I could ever have asked for.

Tell us a little bit about the proposal and your engagement?

I proposed to Miri at Silo Park in Auckland. This was actually where we first decided to make our relationship “official” and I thought it was a meaningful place for us. It was also very meaningful day for Miri because it was the night before her 30th birthday which meant that it was the last day of her 20s. The only hard part was that there was so many people out in Silo Park that day, that I had to keep stalling for about 2 hours to find the right moment to pop the question. And when I did, Miri was in such shock that she didn’t even answer the question for about 10 seconds. So I asked her a second time, and then she said yes! I think it was safe to say that it was a unexpected way to end your 20s, and it was quite the birthday surprise!

Why did you choose your destination?

We fell in love with the courtyard area at Sid at The French Cafe, and we knew the moment we saw it that it would be the perfect venue for us. We loved how the venue was so beautifully put together, and we actually decided that we did not want to add too much more detail and decorations to it because it was so nice. The venue fit perfectly into what we had in mind when we were considering a small, simple and more classic wedding.

Tell us about your wedding style. What influenced your planning for the day?

We wanted to go with a small, simple, and more classic wedding. We both quite like clean minimalistic designs, and this came out exactly in the way we planned our wedding.

What was your favourite detail from the day?

We particularly loved the table settings at Sid at The French Cafe. The furniture, the selection of cutlery, and the flowers looked amazing together. We remember seeing it and thinking it looked even better than we had imagined.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

It must have been when we walked down the aisle as a married couple in front of our closest friends and family. All the pressure running up to the wedding completely vanished and it really felt like we were embarking on a great start to a new journey. The cheers from our friends and family made us again realize that we had made the right decision.

What does marriage mean to you?

Marriage is knowing that you are going to go through some extremely happy and also some extremely tough times. But regardless of what happens, that you now have a partner in life who will always be with you to get through the highs and lows of life together with you.

Who were your stand out vendors?

Zanda Photography and the team at Sid at The French Café. Zanda was so amazing at making us feel at ease and was able to capture some truly amazing shots both on our wedding day and during out pre-wedding photoshoot. And the team at Sid at The French café were so professional and organized that everything went super smoothly on the day.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Don’t try to over-plan for the day. Decide amongst you what are the real must-have things and plan for those, but also leave a bit of room for destiny to decide how things will flow.

Do you have a favourite quote or piece of your vows you would like to share?

We particularly liked the part where Miri said “choose you to be my lover, my partner, and best friend, to the end of my days” – specifically the “best friend” part. For us, even as husband and wife, we want to remain as best friends forever.

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