rosie | damien
From dreaming of her walk down the aisle to trusting her gut every step of the way, Rosie and Damien’s wedding was intentional, heartfelt, and unforgettable. Set in the gardens of Coombe and brought to life through meaningful moments, loved ones, and a gown that felt unmistakably hers, the day was everything she had imagined — and more.
Tell us a bit about your wedding -
We had an outdoor garden wedding at Coombe in the Yarra Valley. We got married in the Italian gardens, with white and blue florals, with the whole day inspired by an Italian or southern France look and feel. Being able to have our entire wedding on the grounds at Coombe was exactly what we wanted. We wanted our guests to feel immersed in the world of Coombe, with each moment feeling like a different space - from the ceremony to cocktail hour to the reception. The day was filled with love, laughter, great food and a lot of dancing, all within such a stunning environment. It was our dream day!
Rosie wears our Dahlia Gown.
Tell us about the moment you said “yes” to the Dahlia gown.
I had tried on the dress a few times and something in my gut just knew the moment I put it on it really was the one. The moment I got to say yes though was when I was surrounded by my bridesmaids and mum at the local Hawthorn boutique, it was a sunny morning and we had glasses of bubbles, and it was just a moment filled with excitement and happy tears. It was so special.
The boutique has such a beautiful variety of sample gowns. How did it feel trying on different styles and finding the one that felt like you?
I loved my experience trying on so many different gowns, it was so fun to play dress up and I loved letting Frankie also suggest a few different styles I might not usually go for. I loved the Billy Gown two piece, I remember trying it on and it was so floaty and different to anything i had tried. I loved the intricacy but also timelessness and beauty of each design.
But when I tried on my dress I just couldn't take it off, I didn’t want to stop looking at myself in the mirror I just felt so me and so beautiful.
What was your favourite moment from the day?
Without a doubt walking down the aisle. A moment I’ve dreamt of my entire life honestly and it was such a rush of emotion. It felt so surreal standing at the top of the aisle, seeing all our favourite people around us and walking down to meet the love of my life.
Tell us about the bridal alterations process — how was your experience?
I have such a wonderful experience, I loved that the alterations are all done locally in Melbourne, it really helped me have so much trust the final fit of the dress would be first. In my first fitting I was feeling very nervous as I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect. We spent time pinning the dress to be the right size, and even customised my wedding shoes so they would match with a hint of the flowers from the lace in my gown.
The second fitting is where we started having fun. Part of what I had envisioned was adding lots of the flowers from the skirt of the dress to be over the bodice. Anna pinned each flower by hand on the front and back of the bodice, being able to have input to exactly where I wanted these was so special - it really was a one of a kind dress!
The final fitting was the most exciting. The flowers we had pinned were sewn on, and we were now down to adjusting the hem, altering the back shape to be a little more of a lower V and then adding final touches of flowers. Being able to hang around the studio whilst the team made these changes on the spot and then try on the completed dress, it was so special. I could not have asked for a better alternations experience!
Was there a particular moment in your fittings that stood out — like trying on your finished gown for the first time? We’re you nervous? What would you tell other brides about that feeling?
I was nervous going into my first fitting because I knew the dress wouldn't be complete yet, especially as we were adding a few custom touches to the dress. So in my first fitting I struggled to visualise how it would all come together, i really had to trust the process and the talented team.
A moment that really stood out was when Anna starting adding on the personalised touches to the dress, we added more flowers from the main lace design all over the bodice, and seeing this all come together made it truly feel like this was my dream dress - it was such a special moment.
How did your fiancé react when he saw you walking down the aisle?
He was so excited, when I first starting walking around the corner he was trying to peek his head so he could see me. When I finally met eyes with him at the top of the aisle he was overcome with emotion, a mix of so much happiness - big smiles, happy tears and just beaming with love.
If you could give one piece of advice to future brides, what would it be?
I think it would be truly just trust your gut. There’s so much noise from other people, their opinions and every changing trends for “what’s cool” on social media. But instead just listen to your heart - what do you and your partner want on the day, what’s special to you? Not anyone else.
Looking back, what does your wedding dress mean to you now?
To me it’s a representation of who I am at my core in a dress. Knowing I wore something that didn’t just feel trendy or something that someone else said looked good, I knew in my heart it was a dress that made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself and truly an extension of who I am. It’s the dress I had dreamed off since I was a little girl without realising it.