Real Wedding – Rosie & Sam, Pennyroyal VIC
Celebrating more than a decade of love between them, Rosie and Sam’s romantic Pennyroyal wedding was truly magic.
Seeking the serenity of the coast, but keeping things casual and classic in style, Rosie and Sam opted for a marquee wedding that embraced some incredible views and gave their guests something to remember, for all the right reasons.
Looking effortless and elegant in a silk slip number, bride Rosie wowed their guests who had travelled from near and far to be present – and in a fun turn of events, she and her bridesmaids even took to the stage to perform a surprise Irish dance for their overseas guests.
Classic, timeless, heartfelt and just perfect – this day was documented by Tess Follett.
In Rosie’s words…
The meeting.
We first met briefly in a nightclub when I was 18 and he was 20. We bumped into each other a few times after and made contact on Facebook. He eventually took me out on a date.
The ‘One’.
It was probably a year or so in but we were still so young! It took us ten more years to get our act together but we got there in the end.
The proposal.
We were down in Barwon Heads for a long weekend with friends and he asked me on the beach the night before our friends arrived. It was a really nice surprise, although I started to suspect something a little earlier as he was driving fairly erratically the whole way down. After he proposed on the beach, we walked further up to see both our parents waiting with champagne, massive smiles on faces. That was a moment I won’t forget. Then we got to celebrate with friends and family the whole weekend!
The process.
It’s a strange experience to look back on, really. We sorted out the venue early on, as we were both fairly clear on what we wanted. Once the big things like dress, venue, catering and styling were ticked off, there was definitely a big lull. Then the two weeks before the wedding are an absolute blur that I thought we’d never get through at the time! It was a lot of late nights, a lot of urgent decision making and at times pretty stressful. Happy to say it was all very worth it in the end.
Style inspiration.
We wanted something down the Coast, really relaxed but classy and King Parrot was the perfect spot for that. I love marquee weddings that feel intimate with warm lighting and I think we nailed that! The marquee felt pretty magical on the night and having such a beautiful view from the marquee was so wonderful. Bel did an amazing job with the flowers and styling and that just added so much to it all.
The dress.
I knew I wanted something pretty simple but timeless and I love plain silk wedding dresses. I was looking around for a while and my sister happened to show me a picture of Lola Varma and I loved their style. I struggled to find a top to go with the skirt however, so my very talented friend Milly, helped me out – she was amazing! I was pretty vague and indecisive in what I wanted but she somehow knew exactly what to do.
Favourite moments.
I have two favourite moments. The first one was the speeches. I hadn’t really had time to even think about speeches in the lead up and they ended up being amazing. Everyone who spoke was so funny and heartfelt and it set such a fun tone for the night. The second moment was probably sitting and chatting in the marquee at the end of the night, looking around at my close friends and family and eating the cheese we had forgotten to serve. I couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing the day was.
Traditions.
To celebrate my Irish family who had come over for the wedding, all the girls performed an Irish dance we had organised at my Hens party… so fun!
Meaning of marriage.
For us it is more about solidifying and celebrating the bond between two people, rather than being a major turning point in the relationship.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Game Winner by Joey Dosik (bridesmaids) and Forever You and Me by The Teskey Brothers (bride)
Recessional: Love & Happiness by Al Green
Reception entry: You Make My Dreams by Daryl Hall & John Oates
First dance: That’s How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
A few issues with buses as they picked people up from Lorne and dropped them back but nothing major. Oh, and maybe our dog Maverick, (who we just let roam around during the ceremony), decided to vomit and poo during our vows – much to the enjoyment of our guests.
Planning surprises.
The amount of work and effort that goes into organising such a big day. I loved every minute, but was relieved once we got through it all.
Words of wisdom.
The love that we felt from everyone on the day was unbelievable. No matter what you want, or envision for your big day, I think the most important thing is that there is love and happiness in the room. That’s pretty priceless.
If you’re after more marquee magic, why not check out Chloe and Joel’s glamorous Curlewis celebration.
ROSIE & SAM’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception: King Parrot Cottages, Pennyroyal
Celebrant/Officiant: We wanted someone who knew us personally so our friend, Warren Davie, did the job for us and he was amazing.
Photography: Tess Follet
Videography: Ryan Lee
Styling and florals: Belco Events
Hair and make-up: Gabby Ward and Cherie Green
The dress: Lola Varma and Milly Mercoulia
Veil / head wear: Lola Varma
Jewellery/Accessories: Christie Nicolaides
Shoes: Loeffler Randal
Rings: Burlington Antiques
Bridesmaids dresses: Topshop, M.N.G, Friend of Audrey, CMEO Collective, Keepsake The Label
Menswear: MJ Bale
Catering: Pot & Pan
Cake / Cake topper: Cheese stack from Emerald Deli, South Melbourne Market
Furniture: Memphis Hire
Stationery / Signage: Loverslettersco
Entertainment: The White Tree
Transport: Hutchinson’s Buslines
Honeymoon: New York and Mexico