Da mi basia mille… an Outlander wedding

The wonderful thing about having friends who are also crafters/DIYers/general awesome human beings is that you call them up and say “I want to do an Outlander wedding inspiration shoot” and they answer with “Let me get my cake bible and my camera”.

My friend Annie and I decided to put together this inspiration shoot based on one of our favourite series, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. You’ll remember that I have somewhat of an obsession fondness for the books and TV series from this post about how I made a full-on historical recreation of Claire Fraser’s look or this post where I fantasized about outfitting my wardrobe entirely based on the costuming from the show. 

So, one day this fall, Annie and I got together and whipped up our take on the Outlander wedding. Rich jewel tones, tartan, sparkling decanters, full autumn blooms. Yum. Here’s what we envisioned for Jamie and Claire’s big day.

The bouquet and arrangement I created was based on the deep reds and greens of the Fraser clan tartan. I used some burgundy dahlias purchased at Loblaws, and a variety of fillers picked from my garden, including pink sedum, spirea branches, lavender, and wheat-like grasses. I made the bouquet very loose and ‘just-picked’. Claire is not a fussy person, and while she appreciates aesthetics, she is an eminently practical person. I can imagine her taking apart the bouquet after to re-use the herbs for her doctoring.

We shot the photos at the Parc historique de la Pointe-du-Moulin. Not only did it give us the perfect historical setting for these photos, but there is a family connection: my grandmother’s ancestors were some of the first settlers on Ile Perrot, and were involved in the building and running of the mill.

The ruby and diamond ring was a honeymoon gift from Erick and is actually from the 18th century, and the freshwater pearls were my grandmother’s. 

I can easily imagine how this look could be incorporated into Thanksgiving or Christmas decorating. Tartan, plaid, candles…

We used Erick’s clan MacKenzie tartan kilt for some of the shots. For those who’ve read the Outlander books, you’ll know that Jamie is as much a MacKenzie as a Fraser!

The chocolate porter wedding cake is based on a recipe from the LCBO’s magazine, Food & Drink. I’ll have that recipe for you in an upcoming post. It makes for a deliciously decadent holiday dessert!

We got a lot of curious looks as we ran around, madly setting up the shots before the sun set. One nice family stopped to asked what we were doing, and we prevailed upon them to take this photo. We left covered in cobwebs and leaves, but had a fantastic afternoon soaking up the last of the fall sun! 

I’ll leave you with an old Scottish blessing, to see you through your week ahead.

May you have walls for the wind,

and a roof for the rain,

and drinks beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

and those you love near you,

and all that your heart may desire.

Slainte mhath.