Vanessa & Dom's Berrima Wedding

If there’s any doubt you can find your soul mate by sitting on a couch alone at home, Vanessa and Dom is proof that you can. “It was a pairing of the modern age, as we met on Tinder,” muses Vanessa. She had nicknamed Dom “my penpal” to her friends as he took six weeks to ask her out on an official offline date, despite talking every day via the app.

This extension of time would set the tone for their future relationship as Vanessa explains after over four years together, they were in no rush to get hitched right away and rather spent 16 more months engaged. “We were extremely happy with our decision to have a longer engagement as it meant we had plenty of time to organise all the details of the day and enjoy the process at the same time. I really wanted to be relaxed throughout the entire process and not turn into a bridezilla, which my husband says was accomplished!”

Not only was Vanessa (who got ready in a Le Rose robe) relaxed in the lead up but she laughs at how she forgot to wear her veil during the ceremony. She purposely asked Liam her hairstylist (from Edwards and Co) not to put it on for the photos “as I felt it would be fake” and before she knew it, she was down the aisle getting married – sans veil! That didn’t stop her from enjoying every minute of the day and night as the couple and their 90 guests danced to live music by The White Tree amidst walls of books at Bendooley Estate in Berrima.

As a fashion buyer with a great sensibility for styling and detail, Vanessa had a clear sense of how she would translate their agreed overall theme of ‘warm elegant romance’. They wanted a sophisticated and stylish take on a rustic style country wedding so decided on a floral palette of white and green with touches of peach, along with rose gold styling elements to add warmth.

Vanessa says “I am obsessed with rose gold so it was only natural that it was the main colour palette of the styling elements. We used it all the way through the wedding from the rose gold foil on the invitations, to the candle holders on the tables, to the hand painted names on the marble place cards and the signage used for the event. Dom actually mentioned in his wedding speech that the entire event was way too colour coordinated to have any of his involvement, which made me laugh on the night.”

Whilst the couple visited (and highly recommend) One Fine Day bridal fair, and used Pinterest, Vogue and Hello May (thanks guys!) to draw inspiration for the day, Vanessa turned to friends for the missing pieces. “My friend Brooke used Justin Aaron as her photographer and I absolutely loved her photos. We found that actually seeing someone’s work first hand was the best way to determine if we liked them or not.”

And despite the day “just flying by” the couple are excited for more endless hours together. “It is the two of us celebrating our differences rather than trying to change the other person; we have each found someone that truly supports the other person no matter what.”