Bev Hallam opens formal & bridal dress shop ‘Oak & Valentine’ in Rockhampton

The business owner’s focus is to give brides a “great experience” whether is be a glass of wine or cup of coffee when they come in to try on gowns. Check it out.

Bev Hallam at her new formal and dress wear shop, Oak and Valentine.

A new dress shop has opened in Rockhampton offering formal dresses and bridal gowns, filling a gap in the city’s market.

The last bridal boutique in Rockhampton closed a few years ago, and when Bev Hallam was offered the opportunity to purchase formal dress shop Victoria’s Loft, she saw potential for expansion.

In partnership with her daughter, Briearne Fielder, she bought Victoria’s Loft in May, which was on Musgrave Street.

Bev wanted to move to a bigger location so she could have room for more stock and change rooms.

“It was very small, we wanted to do the bridal side of things because there is no bridal in Rockhampton, and there wasn’t the room in that shop, so I went searching for another shop and happened to find one 30 metres down the road,” she said.

The Oak and Valentine store in the Bank of Queensland complex next to Stockland Rockhampton.

They moved to the complex where Bank of Queensland is next to Stockland off High Street and opened there on November 1, under a new name, Oak and Valentine.

The shop has a range of dresses from bridal gowns, bridesmaids dress, mother of the bride/groom, formal gowns, racewear, dress for baby showers or hen’s parties and bridal showers, along with accessories, jewellery, clutches and underwear.

“We are slowly getting our name out there,” Ms Hallam said.

“There is always someone coming in the door, they may not necessarily purchase straight away, they come for a look.

“We’ve had a few formal girls come in for next year to see what they can wear, what suits them, what colours.”

With a background in bookkeeping for many years, this is Ms Hallam’s first foray into retail.

“It’s been full on trying to get my head around it all,” she laughed.

For her, her goal is to give customers a “great experience”.

“Welcome them into the shop, offer a coffee, water, wine if the brides want wine, we just want to give them that nice experience so that they buy local and they don’t have to travel,” Ms Hallam said.

When asked what her plans for 2024, she joked “sell a lot of dresses”.

She would like to expand the bridal range, but it will be kept at a lower cost.

“We are hoping to tap into the bridal market as much as we can, a lot of people go to Gladstone,” she said.

“We’re not aiming to go too expensive, our limit is $3,900.

“With the cost of living these days … usually when they come in they have a budget.”