This country chic Daylesford wedding was a three-day feast for family and international guests, with the ceremony itself taking place at the stunning Convent Gallery. Featuring an embroidered Zuhair Murad gown, peonies scattered down long tables and breathtaking scenery, Joshua Mikhaiel beautifully captured the details.

We adore a good love story, and Rebecca and Patrick most certainly have that! The bride shares, ”We met on New Year’s Eve in NYC. I spotted him up on a balcony with his friends as I walked into the party and he came down and introduced himself and we spent the whole night together. At the end of the night, my phone was dead, a friend was sick, and he didn’t have a proper number so we said goodbye. I woke up in a bit of a panic that I had let him go and attempted to friend every Australian Patrick I could find on Facebook. I couldn’t find him, but luckily he was doing the same thing from a computer in McDonald’s, with more success. He sent me a message and then called to catch up that night. We decided to keep seeing each other after he left the US the next day. Every date over the next few months meant 9 hours on the train but I knew straight away that he was the one for me!

An intricately embroidered Zuhair Murad gown was worn by the bride. Rebecca tells, ”My dress was lace with coloured embroidery. I initially visited stores around Australia and the US but when I saw my dress online on Net-A-Porter I knew it was the one. I had it altered by Brides of Brighton. The colours of the dress served as an inspiration for our colour themes on the day and were beautifully picked up by the peonies set against the white tablecloths. Patrick wore a classic black tuxedo. He had it made by Donatello Tailor in Melbourne.” The bride shares one of her favourite moments as, ”Choosing the dress together with my mum and working together with my friend Sarah in barre classes to fit into it!” The bride wore a Herve Leger gown at the reception and Miu Miu shoes. The engagement ring was a sapphire ring that is a family heirloom from the 1800s.

The ceremony was held at the Convent Gallery atrium and was filled with flowers. The bride shares, ”We had the most incredible celebrant, Andrew Redman, who helped us craft a ceremony that helped to share our story and get married with the perfect balance of romance and humour. Our celebrant was incredible in creating a ceremony that represented us perfectly and that made us both comfortable and excited. Our nephew Thomas was our page boy, and Patrick’s sister Kate and her husband Ryan were our witnesses.” The bride walked down the aisle to ‘With A Girl Like You’ by The Troggs, and the bridesmaids and flower girls walked out to ‘Fool For Love’ by Lord Huron.

The area of Daylesford already held a special place in the bride and groom’s hearts. Rebecca shares, ”Patrick’s father has a farm outside of Daylesford and we love the area. We held the rehearsal dinner at The Houses on Friday where we stayed, with me and my American friends in one house and Patrick and his closest Australian friends in the other. Our wedding ceremony was in the Convent Gallery atrium, drinks and entrees were in the atrium and gardens, mains and reception were in the St Michael’s Room, and the after-party was in the Alter Bar. Our post-wedding brunch was held at the farm.”

With a beautifully detailed floral wedding gown, the bride chose simple but stunning bouquets. She tells, ”Peonies are my favourite flower and thankfully they were in season. Our bouquets, flower installations, and table arrangements were from Spring Hill Peony Farm and their florist did a beautiful job.” Family and friends spent the weekend together celebrating the newlyweds, and Rebecca and Patrick’s favourite moments of the day centred around their people. Listing some of these moments, the bride shares, ”Having our families meeting for the first time, so many incredible friends from childhood and college flying into Australia, getting to spend three nights together under one roof, and having all the important people in our lives together in one room.”

Details were important to the couple, especially in making their guests feel at home. The bride shares, ”We knew our friends and family were all putting in a big effort to join us, taking time off work and travelling, some from Melbourne and others from around the world. Our main focus was having a beautiful weekend where they could have fun and celebrate with old and new friends. With the help of our family, we made dinner on Friday and brunch on Saturday. Some of the details we made sure to include were the houses we rented for the weekend so that the Americans could spend time together and with our close Australian friends, the photobooth by Boothalicious, our favourite cocktails (Aperol Spritz and espresso martinis), and a great dance floor led by DJ Lauren Mac.” The couple’s first dance as a married couple was to ‘Wonderful World’ by Sam Cooke.

An extra special thank you to The White Tree for sharing this gorgeous video of Rebecca and Patrick’s day!

Congratulations to our lovely bride and groom on your beautiful wedding day, and thank you for sharing it with us! Thank you also to Joshua Mikhaiel for your stunning photographs.