Danielle Gross, 27, shares her romantic story..
Lying on the bed, I scrolled through TikTok.
It was January 2021 and I’d just returned from a solo road trip I’d taken across the country in an old ambulance which my dad, Bill, had helped me convert into a camper.
A cute guy with a bowtie appeared on my phone, holding a bouquet of flowers.
“I wanna marry someone from TikTok!” he said in the video. “Share this with someone you think would be perfect.”
His name was Gunnar Michels, he was 24, the same age as me, and lived five hours away.
I was instantly drawn to his wild energy.
I had just returned from travelling solo in an old converted ambulance when I saw Gunnar’s TikTok
(Image: Supplied).He proposed to fly one lucky woman to Las Vegas for the shotgun wedding and pay for the divorce a week later.
Traditional weddings had never interested me.
“If I ever get married, I want it to be in a silly way,” I’d tell my family, and marrying a stranger in Vegas would be just that.
Gunnar’s video had already been viewed thousands of times and was attracting comments from many girls expressing interest.
If I wanted him to pick me, I’d have to go out on a limb to get his attention.
Next day, I did my make-up and chucked on a jumpsuit that looked like a wedding dress from the waist up.
I always knew I wanted a fun wedding
(Image: Supplied).“I have to be the one to take this crazy adventure with you,” I declared to Gunnar in my video. “And we could roadtrip to Vegas in my ambulance.”
That evening, I showed the video to my parents.
“But what if he’s a murderer and he kidnaps you?” my mum, Mary Cay, asked in horror.
I told them I understood the risks and felt confident he wasn’t crazy.
Many of my friends had shared my video and it was starting to go viral with an army of thousands commenting, begging Gunnar to pick me.
Finally, Gunnar messaged.
Don’t worry, he wrote, I see you.
We travelled to Vegas together in my camper
(Image: Supplied).A week after I’d first watched Gunnar’s video, I was out with a girlfriend when he called.
“I’m coming to see you in an hour,” he said. “I’m going to propose.”
I felt a burst of nervous excitement as he hung up the phone.
My friend drove me to the lookout where Gunnar was waiting with a ring.
His mate was filming for the many people following the story.
“I want you guys to meet my future wife,” Gunnar said to the camera before getting down on one knee.
He was as energetic in real life as online.
Our engagement was filmed for TikTok
(Image: Supplied).After he put the ring on, I threw my arms around him, amazed at what had transpired in a single week.
We drove to mine so he could meet Mum and Dad.
My parents had lots of questions, but they soon realised he was a decent guy whose zany personality complimented mine.
Ten days later we began the voyage to Vegas.
Having someone else in the van took a little getting used to and though he was my fiancé, he was still a stranger, so I made him sleep on the floor.
Along the way we went for walks, saw live music together, and I began to really enjoy his company.
In Texas, we were hit by a severe ice storm and anxiety began to take hold.
We were stuck in an ice storm in Texas
(Image: Supplied).“I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life when I get home,” I unloaded to Gunnar.
“Don’t worry about that right now,” he encouraged me. “Let’s just enjoy this wedding.”
His excitement was infectious.
We made it through the ice storm and arrived in Las Vegas on Valentines Day 2021, keen to tie the knot.
Lots of people who were following our story online asked if they could get involved.
Random girls drove to Vegas to help me do my hair and make-up.
Strangers flew in from different parts of the country to take our photos and make our wedding cake.
We said our vows under the Vegas sign
(Image: Supplied).My older brother, Brandon, who was also travelling, came to Vegas to watch me get married.
Standing beneath the Las Vegas sign, before a gathering of our new friends, we said our vows.
“I vow to always have fun and never take life too seriously,” I declared.
When the celebrant told Gunnar he could kiss the bride, I was slightly nervous as we’d never done it before.
“Which way do we turn our heads?” I asked Gunnar.
“Let’s just go for it,” he laughed, laying one on me.
Back at our hotel room, there was only one bed.
I let my husband into our bed for the first time after the wedding
(Image: Supplied).“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” I told my new husband.
“Finally!” he cheered, flopping onto the bed, exhausted from the crazy day.
While we were married, we still weren’t in a relationship, so we slept on opposite sides of the bed.
Two days after the wedding, Gunnar had to fly home for work and we parted without concrete plans.
I decided to keep travelling, though I found my thoughts kept wandering to Gunnar.
“You should come back,” I told him over the phone.
Two weeks later, he returned.
Travelling solo wasn’t the same anymore, so I asked Gunnar to join me
(Image: Supplied).“This is my husband,” I said to my fellow travelers. “But we’re just friends.”
As we continued to travel, our friendship grew … there was no talk of divorce.
Around four months into marriage, I came to like sharing my bed with him.
“You can cuddle me,” I told him one night.
From then on, my husband and I were more than friends.
Two years on, we have truly fallen in love with each other and still have no plans of getting that divorce!
In fact, I’d say marrying a stranger is the best decision I ever made.
Follow Danielle and Gunnar on TikTok @danielleandgunnar
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