Outlandish wedding recreates silver screen magic
This article is sponsored by Outlandish
If their 16 year life together has taught Scott and Michaela anything, it’s that love is enduring.
That’s why they’ve been able to maintain passion through long periods of geographic separation. It’s why they’ve encouraged each other to pursue the things that really make them happy. And, it’s also why they’ve decided to share their wedding day with 600 fans of the TV series Outlander.
The couple will tie the knot at the first ever Outlandish Gathering – a two day fan gathering in the Glen Innes Highlands this October – by recreating the marriage sequence between the show’s protagonists Claire and Jamie.
The pair have long wanted to tie the knot in front of the Australian Standing Stones. So, it was serendipitous, Michaela says, when they came across the Outlandish Competition.
They are both fans of the series. The thing that has always resonated with them is the love story at the centre of the narrative.
The show revolves around two lovers, separated by vast periods of time. In fact, the only way for them to connect is for Claire to pass back and forth through a magical portal in a Celtic stone circle.
In a strange way, it kind of mirrors their own relationship. Putting aside the fact that Michaela is an herbal naturopath and Scott is, well, a Scot. Their relationship was also built off the back of a chance encounter in a place far from home.
The pair first met in Falls Creek, where they were both working during the snow season. Michaela was working in a restaurant and one of her co-workers had a crush on her. Desperate to get in her good books, he offered to set her up with free snowboarding lessons with his buddy. She took him up on the offer… That’s how she met Scott. And, it was love at first sight.
“It totally backfired on him,” she laughed.
“(The connection between Scott and I) was instantaneous. We had this instant peace and comfort around each other. It was just really easy.”
The pair started dating and spent that magical season together. Eventually, they had to go their separate ways. Michaela went back home to WA and Scott headed off the US to be a scoober diving instructor. But when the following season came back around the pair met up again. It wasn’t long after that Michaela fell pregnant with their first child. After that they began their life together. While geography has often separated the pair, love has bound them.
“Even though we’ve always had this incredible love we’ve always let each other go and do whatever it is we need to do. To be whoever it is we need to be,” Michaela explained.
“There’s never been any questions over are we or aren’t we together or will we wait for one another. We’ve always just trusted in the love that we have. That’s why its like Jamie and Claire.”
The pair are also having a second (private) ceremony for their family and close friends but are excited for the public wedding.
The Outlandish Gathering will be held at The Australian Standing Stones in Glenn Innes on October 20 and 21. It will feature a full two day Cos-Play experience for fans, transporting them back to the 18th century Scottish Highlands.
It will be a major tourism event for the town, drawing visitors from as far away as the United States as well as dedicated Outlander Fan Clubs from across both Australia and New Zealand.
Activities will include re-enactments of their favourite scenes, Celtic Jewelry, Bodhran drum workshops and banquet feasts at recreations of the Castle Leoch, Lallybroch and the Palace of Versailles, to name but a few.
There will also be a meet and greet with series star David Berry, who plays Lord John Grey. The actor will do a Q&A session with fans before spending a couple of hours signing autographs and taking photos.
Tickets are strictly limited. For bookings visit: https://outlanderfangathering.com.au/bookings/
This article is sponsored by Outlandish
