As the first feature of our After Dark issue, we’re so excited to dive into Rosey and Wade’s country-themed wedding! Pulled back into a relaxed celebration, their wedding was all about country class and investing in their friends as vendors. Not only did they get to support their friends’ businesses, but they also got to share those special moments with someone they love and trust. Like Mitch Gamble, for example! A long-time friend of Wade who captured every moment perfectly through his lens.

Rosey and Wade matched on Bumble, where she got straight to work building their relationship! Something clearly clicked, since we’re here today to share their beautiful country-themed wedding.

The snowy summit at Falls Creek is a feat to reach, at 1,780m. And a hike at that height is made all the more impressive when navigating snow and pondering an important question. With their close friends hiding nearby, ready to pop a bottle of champagne, Wade asked Rosey if she would marry him right then and there! “Spent the rest of the day drinking, and snowboarding was a really fun weekend,” he shared.

Wade’s outfit inspiration for their country-themed wedding was, of course, the classic John Dutton look. “Classy but country.” Complete with a bolo tie, a sleek cowboy hat and a black suit.

Matching that classy western look, Rosey wore a simple black dress paired with cowboy boots. Their beautiful children all matched that theme, wearing black outfits with boots, cowboy hats and a bolo tie!

Log Cabin Ranch in Monbulk, Victoria, was the perfect setting for their country wedding! “We couldn’t rate this place any higher. The venue is perfect for a DIY wedding, it caters for indoor/outdoor and includes accommodation for guests, so the majority of people stayed, which made the night more fun and gave you a chance to really spend time with everyone,” Wade explained.

They unfortunately had a grandparent pass away the week before the wedding. So, as a special nod to her, a memorial photo was included in the setup.

Rosey took on the flowers herself, using dried flowers to create the bouquets and pieces found throughout the day. Mainly using muted, native florals and tones to match the rustic feel of the wedding.

As an acoustic version of Jimmy Eat World’s “Hear You Me” performed by Paper Hearts, Rosey walked down the aisle with their three kids.

They wanted the ceremony to be short and sweet, and with the humour their celebrant, Samuel Miller, added, it was just that. “He did a really casual and hilarious speech about how we met and had everyone just laughing. We then followed that with our vows, which were also pretty short,” Wade shared.

“All of our vendors were fantastic, but Samuel Miller probably stood out to the guests the most. Everyone thought he was really funny and assumed we had known him…”

As for advice for couples planning their own weddings, Wade had this to share: “Don’t stress. Just make it fun, otherwise what’s the point?”

Like we mentioned earlier, Log Cabin Ranch was the perfect place for Wade and Rosey to customise their day. From Rosey’s own hair and makeup, to the DIY flowers she put together, to all the table decorations and the Polaroid table! Not to mention, they hired Nem N’ Nem food truck to feed everyone delicious Vietnamese street food.

There was no formal wedding party for Wade and Rosey; it just didn’t fit into the stripped-back vibe of the day. Instead, they wanted everyone to be included – and boy did they lean into the country theme of the day! “Most of our family and friends got really on board with the country theme. We even had family in blow-up horse and chicken costumes on the dance floor, which was a surprise even for us!”

One of their favourite shots of the day was this moment Mitch captured – of a deer! “Walking up the hill after taking posed photos at the lake… we were just walking, and the deer was chasing the photographer. He just snapped a photo behind his back, and it came out perfect. Very candid!” 

Speaking of candid shots: Mitch Gamble is not only a long-time friend of Wade’s but was also the photographer for this wedding! “A big part of our wedding involved people we knew. Mitch is an old friend of mine, and we used to work together about 10 years ago, so having him there was really nice,” Wade shared.

“The live music and DJ were also old friends. We just wanted to make sure that everyone had fun. It was the first time both our extended family and friends were all in the same place, so we made sure we had something to cater for everyone. It was just like a giant gathering in a park with everyone dressed country.”

The three things that really stood out to Wade and Rosey from their country-themed wedding included:

“1. We included our kids and all our friends and families kids, so they all had a great time.

2. Our vowels were pretty funny and very similar, which made us both laugh and cry

3. Our country theme made everyone dress up and made it really funny. Everyone just got involved.”

Keeping with their laid-back theme, Rosey and Wade skipped a first dance. Instead, they spent the night chatting with their loved one and kicked the dance floor off well into the night.

Please join us in congratulating Rosey and Wade on their beautiful wedding! And a huge thanks to Mitch Gamble for not only capturing everything, but also for sharing it with us.