There are love stories that feel as though they’ve been quietly written in the stars, and Rosie and Shaun’s is one of them. With a little help from family, a friendship blossomed into the love that has now spanned over a decade: one built on laughter, ocean swims, and the kind of quiet moments that you dream about. Their Denmark celebration was an intimate ode to everything they hold dear – retro flair, meaningful family traditions, and the beauty of nature. With Greta Wolzak behind the lens, every detail of their day was captured with authenticity and a nostalgic touch.

Rosie’s sister, Bryony, and her partner, Declan, knew from the very beginning that Rosie and Shaun were a match made in heaven – and so they did everything in their power to quietly play Cupid. “They were always finding ways to have us in the same place at the same time. What started as a beautiful friendship slowly turned into the kind of love that feels like home. Over ten years later, we’re still each other’s favourite person, and somehow, it just keeps getting better!”

When it came to proposing to Rosie, Shaun had two conditions that had to be met: it had to be a sunny day, and he had to muster enough courage to ask her that almighty question. “We headed off on a camping trip to one of our favourite wild beach spots, just the two of us, no fuss, with a sneaky bottle of bubbles tucked into the camp fridge. It was the day before Valentine’s Day, which made it the perfect cover,” Rosie shared.

“As the sun began to set, Shaun proposed. No big gesture, just a quiet, beautiful moment that felt perfectly us. I said yes, and we celebrated with a sunset swim in the ocean. Simple, sweet, and perfect.”

Their ceremony spot was an easy pick: somewhere surrounded by nature and close enough that they could visit as they celebrate more life chapters together. And Monkey Rock in Denmark, Western Australia, ticked every box. “It’s an incredible rock formation that gives high sweeping views of the forest to your back and the ocean and bays out front. It was a natural choice for our ceremony spot, and we even got to watch whales pass by during our ceremony.”

Shaun kept his outfit true to his normal style, sharp yet relaxed. “He was barefoot for the ceremony and wore a brown tweed suit with a linen Cuban-collared shirt, laid-back, a little retro, and felt like him,” Rosie explained.

“I surprised him with a pair of vintage gold and pearl duck cufflinks (a little nod to his nickname for me), delivered with a note while he was getting ready with his family. Just a small detail, but one that felt really special.”

Rosie’s dad, Richard, walked her down the aisle as “Next To Me” by Rufus played. “It was such a special moment, just the two of us in those few quiet, nervous minutes before the walk. He kept cracking dad jokes the whole time, which honestly helped calm my nerves and made me smile. It felt really grounding to have that moment with him before everything began.”

For Rosie, finding her outfit wasn’t easy, as she wanted something that felt natural, simple, moveable and wearable. “I couldn’t find the one that felt like me in any wedding stores. I ended up finding the perfect dress online from ‘Wild Stone Fox’ on Revolve and paired it with a long, hand-embroidered vintage Mantilla veil, a vintage pearl necklace from my mum, and gold and pearl ocean-inspired earrings from ‘Ruby Jack’. I was barefoot for the ceremony, but after, I changed into my mum’s vintage red suede slingbacks and a flared-sleeve mini for dancing. I loved my dresses and also that I can wear and love them again!”

Since this retro wedding was so intimate, Rosie and Shaun didn’t have a traditional wedding party. Instead, they were surrounded by their closest loved ones, who all perfectly matched the vibe of the day. “My dad wore his classic Akubra, and Mum (our amazing celebrant) looked incredible in deep wine vintage velvet. My beautiful sister Bryony matched in burnt velvet orange, and little Roman was all sunshine in yellow, with his mum Juliet in matching yellow and disco boots,” Rosie shared.

“Shaun’s dad, my brother, grandparents, and brothers-in-law Declan and Jordyn wore earthy tones, and my mother-in-law tied it all together in a stunning autumn dress. Our beautiful friends Tuhmai and Lou joined in later, adding their own flair to the mix. Nothing was planned, but somehow everyone turned up looking like a retro dream – fun, earthy, and perfectly us.”

Luckily for Rosie, her mum works as an amazing celebrant (find her here: Mel Life Celebrant) and stepped into that role for her and Shaun’s ceremony. “She poured so much love and thought into it, and having her standing there, marrying us, was so special,” she shared.

“She included a few beautiful readings, like The Art of Marriage by Wilferd Peterson and Like a River by Whitney Hanson, which really captured the feeling of the day. One of the most meaningful parts was our hand-fasting ceremony. It felt deeply grounding and spiritual, and a moment to pause and acknowledge the commitment we were making. Our sisters tied the ribbons around our hands while a blessing was read by mum, and it felt like such a powerful symbol of connection, family, and the life we’re weaving together.”

Aside from her bouquet, Rosie tackled all of the flowers for the day herself. “My brother-in-law Declan drove all the way from Perth with the air con blasting and bundled up in gloves and a beanie to keep the flowers fresh for the long drive down, bless him!

On the morning of the wedding, after a cold ocean swim with everyone, my sister and I spent the morning putting together all the flower arrangements. Shaun and I had also chosen lots of gorgeous potted flowers from Bunnings, and we tucked them in among the bouquets. Then, after the wedding, Shaun and I spent a sunny afternoon planting those pots in our garden, and it felt like a really sweet way to carry our day forward.”

Her gorgeous bouquet was created by the talented Flower Motel in Perth, with a stunning, wild, and natural vibe. Finished off by the beautiful ribbon picked out by her sister as the something blue.

Greta Wolzak was the expert behind the lens for Rosie and Shaun, who were drawn to her thanks to her signature authenticity and nostalgic flair. “We couldn’t have chosen better! She blended so seamlessly into our family and our day that we hardly noticed any pictures being taken! That meant she captured the most genuine and candid photos and small moments that I will treasure forever. She also really got our love of vintage and retro, and I feel like that meant she was able to capture our day in a way that felt so true to us. We really love our wedding photos.”

As Rosie and Shaun were having their portraits taken, they were under the impression that their guests were waiting for them at the reception. But as they came down from Monkey Rock, they were happily surprised to find everyone waiting for them! “My favourite detail of the day ended up being a total surprise! When we came down, everyone was waiting for us and had formed into a tunnel for me and Shaun to walk through. It was so much fun, and it ended up being my favourite photograph of the day. Just how happy and organic it was,” she shared.

“Juliet and everyone had also painted ‘Just married’ on our old Nissan Patrol getaway car and tied cans of baked beans (Shaun’s favourite!) onto the back. It was such a fun retro send-off, and Shaun and I loved the little moment with just us riding in the car like ‘WE’RE MARRIED!'”

For Rosie, the five things that really stood out to her from this retro wedding included:

“1) Deciding to have an elopement was a big decision, but it ended up being really special. It meant that we could focus on the things that really mattered to us.

2) Going for a morning ocean swim the day of the wedding was such a nice way to start the day, and also going up Monkey Rock for an amazing sunrise before the wedding.

3) Having my grandparents come all the way from New Zealand, as well as having grandad as the ring bearer with the special box he made

4) Having my mum as our celebrant couldn’t have been more beautiful, as well as our sisters, to do our hand-fasting

5) Being able to have our elopement in all the places that felt special to us, we plan to return to Monkey Rock with a bottle of bubbles to reflect and dream up things every anniversary.”

One of Shaun and Rosie’s favourite dog walks passed by this retro A-Frame house in the forest, and they knew it would be the perfect spot for their reception. “I reached out to the owners, and they were sweet enough to let us have our wedding party there, and they even gave us an engraved wooden carving of our wedding date as a memento !”

Absolutely nothing was safe from Rosie and her ability to repurpose anything and everything from the op-shop. “I’ve been hoarding vintage for years. Vases, glassware, tableware, furniture, even the fondue set – all secondhand treasures. We found a disco ball and gave the place a fun retro glow with silver streamers and red heart balloons. It was a little bit mismatched and eclectic, but that’s exactly how we like it,” she explained.

“It gave me the perfect opportunity to feed my op shopping addiction! It was so much fun creating a day and a vibe that really encapsulated all the things Shaun and I love. It wasn’t stressful at all because of our amazing families and the fact that it was just a little intimate affair, so that really helped us enjoy our day to the fullest.”

When it came to naming their all-star vendor of the day, it was deceptively hard for Rosie to pick just one. “Definitely our amazing photographer Greta and, of course, my mum as our celebrant! Mum is such a talented celebrant and filled our ceremony with so much love and laughter. Also, Cara Anne & Yvette Gray with hair and makeup and Woodfired Catering for delicious food with Ruby’s Sunday Best for our desserts – they were all so wonderful.”

One of the most special details from their intimate, retro wedding was the ring box, handcrafted by Rosie’s grandfather. “Grandma and Grandad flew all the way over from New Zealand and even scaled the height of Monkey Rock for our ceremony! Grandad is a beautiful wood turner and made our ring box inlaid with New Zealand paua shell. It was so special to think of the love he put into that, and now it will always be a family heirloom. My mother-in-law, Norgard, and my mum made our two wedding cakes, which were really special as well.”

Their first dance was to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley. “It was completely cheesy, but I have always thought that song was so romantic and Shaun had worked my favourite line of the song into his wedding vows… “take my hand, take my whole life too”.”

For Shaun, the thing he remembers most from the day is this: “Feeling completely in love and lucky to have found my favourite person who I get to spend the rest of my life with (awwwhhh!!). And getting to share that with our family. The day itself was really relaxed, starting with an ocean swim with everyone and eating a great morning brunch while we all decorated the venue together, which was fun and exciting. Having our wedding in a place so special to us and returning to our reception to eat more great food and dance all night. It was such a fun, relaxed wedding, I was super stoked!”

Rosie and Shaun’s celebration was a true reflection of who they are. Congratulations to the happy couple, and a big thank you to Greta Wolzak for capturing the magic of their day so beautifully.