Somehow, I stumbled over the Outlander television show in September of this year. I must have been living under a rock to have not been exposed previously. They were just about to start airing the third season, and I binge watched the first two seasons over the course of a week. Then, I dived into the books. The series is captivating, and it is easy to get lost within the world that the author has created. There is a huge following of both the books and the tv series. 🙂
As a photographer, I was inspired by the love story, the clothing, and, of course, this almost perfect man that Diana Gabaldon has created. Slightly obsessed, I spoke with some of the local vendors, and they jumped on board–excited to create something inspired by the magic of the story with the feel of the highlands.
Going into this, we decided early on that we didn’t want it to be themed–it would be easy to get kitschy with a project like this. We didn’t want to recreate something that has already been done so amazingly. Instead, we wanted to let ourselves be inspired and throw a modern twist into this timeless time-traveling love affair.
I brought Jennifer with Knox Occasions on board early, and we decided to let ourselves be led by the colors of the Scottish highlands keeping it very neutral with soft tones and a pop of red. She found goblets from Unique Settings Rentals and place settings from Pottery Barn to give our tablescape a high end look with a Scottish flair. Melissa Timm Designs created the florals for the table using parts of a balloon plant, often referred to as “hairy balls” which struck us as humorous considering what is generally referred to when discussing kilts. The wedding favors, menus, and invitations were all designed and produced by Millstone Crafted utilizing a specially designed crest and incorporating one of the most widely known Scottish staples, whisky, into their “wee drams” and whisky scented soaps.
Melissa Timm Designs also provided an amazing over-sized bouquet, a flower crown, and a unique boutonniere to add that hint of red and really set off the clothing. The opulent wedding dress is a Justin Alexander, and it was provided by The Gilded Gown along with the accessories. It fit our lovely model perfectly and made a gorgeous pairing with the plaid wrap. Amanda from Southern Sirens finished out the gilding of the lovely Sydney with a classic updo and understated makeup.
I purchased some fabric from JoAnns to create the kilt–because there must be a kilt–and used a modern plaid keeping it in the neutral palette and making sure we had a nice long length to wrap up our groom. While we didn’t want his outfit to feel like a costume, Jennifer and I both loved the juxtaposition of the different textures used when creating the outfits on the show so we kept a little closer to the inspiration with his outfit than we did with any other part of the shoot. Our model, Gage, was a real trooper and the chemistry between him and Sydney was amazing.
Other little nuggets…
Instead of a guest book, we used raw semi-precious stones with a note encouraging guests to hold them during the ceremony, infuse them with good wishes, and then send them back to the happy couple. This was inspired by the stones used to time travel within the books.
We had the whisky scented soaps for the gentlemen, but we also provided sandalwood and amber scented soaps for the ladies inspired by the dragonfly in amber that was referenced often in the books and given as a wedding token in the show.
We chose Chapel in the Hollow as our location because of a group of stones on property that had the feel of the Scottish highlands. Then, we used a fog machine to add in some fog to complete the look.
Event Planner: Knox Occasions
Dress Store: The Gilded Gown
Favors and Gifts: Millstone Crafted
Invitations: Millstone Crafted
Dishware: Unique Settings Rentals
Hair and Makeup :Southern Sirens
Florals: Melissa Timm Designs
Photography: Star Noir Photography
Venue: Chapel in the Hollow