“The Native Bride” – a wedding editorial inspired by Indigenous culture is everything we love here at Polka Dot Wedding.  Colour, romance, and a strong, inclusive message. The brainchild behind this breathtaking editorial is photographer and formidable force Nikita Pere, who, with the help of stylist Sunshine Weddings, and flower and decor extraordinaire, Bloom and Bush, created this styled shoot that has a strong message.

A project that has been seeded from her own personal journey, Nikita tells us the heart and soul behind this jaw-dropping shoot. “As a storyteller of love, I am deeply inspired by the richness of our Indigenous cultures and the profound wisdom they carry. With each step I take, diving deeper into my own cultural roots, I am met with revelations on how to create a space of authenticity and meaning for my couples. The stories of our ancestors whisper in my soul, urging me to hold space for these precious unions in a way that resonates with their unique heritage.

“This has seeded from my own personal journey planning my own elopement and longing to see myself represented in the beautiful wedding imagery I saw online, in an authentic and heart-led way. To show our Pasifika community that we can honour our ancestry and still have a beautiful, contemporary wedding that’s worthy of adorning the pages of the beautiful wedding blogs we see online.”

To create this shoot that Nikita has called “The Native Bride”, she collaborated with a group of incredible QLD creatives as well as an Australian-Motuan (Papua New Guinea) model to help her illustrate the sentiment and to hopefully inspire more people to feel empowered and worthy of honouring their roots on their special day.

The face of this powerful editorial is model Moale James who takes flight in a red gown created by White Lily Couture. Adding to the final touches on the day was talented makeup artist Carly Stone.

“The style of the shoot was inspired by a desire to embark on a soul-stirring journey to recolonise the wedding industry. A journey that calls upon every heart to honour their heritage and embrace the profound beauty of our diverse cultural backgrounds on their sacred day. To enrich the industry that I love so much with the magic of our people, and to encourage people of all cultural backgrounds that there is space for us to exist in this space.” Nikita said.

Come on this journey as we celebrate culture and heritage.