When A Rattlesnake Ruins Your Wedding Shoot
This is a story to tell the grandkids
By Philippa Edwards
For Colorado-based adventure wedding photographer Maddie Mae, if something exciting isn’t happening on her shoot, something is amiss. Her clients tend to seek her out specifically for her willingness to follow them off the beaten track, camera in hand. That said, what took place during a recent toned-down wedding shoot was a first for the photographer.
“As an adventure wedding photographer, I often wade in chest-high water, hike into jungles in Costa Rica, or go on 10-mile hikes with couples up mountains on their wedding day,” Mae told DigitalRev. “I never would have guessed that my only indoor church wedding this year, in my home town, would actually become the biggest adventure, and my craziest wedding story to date.”
After the wedding ceremony of Johnny Benson and Laura Loretz, the couple headed with the photographer to take some shots by the Horsetooth Reservoir, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
While Mae was doing her thing, a young rattlesnake darted out onto the path, biting the groom on his ankle.
Noticing a park ranger driving by, Mae and the bride started waving furiously, only to receive a hearty “Congratulations!” in reply. Once he realised that the couple dressed in wedding attire needed more than well wishes, the ranger promptly came over, laid the groom down and elevated his leg while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Mae retrieved her camera and continued to document the day. “When Johnny first got bit, I didn’t keep shooting,” Mae told DigitalRev. “I helped them wave down the Park Ranger who then came over and assisted. Once the Ranger was taking care of Johnny and had called the paramedics, and the situation was under control, that’s when I started taking photos.”
“I guess it was my instinct as a photographer to continue photographing and telling the story of their day…Wherever that took us! Laura and Johnny are also great people who took this all in stride and thought it was great that I kept shooting.”
Upon arriving at the scene, the paramedics were unable to make an accurate prognosis since they could not determine whether the snake had injected any venom into the wound. At the very least, the newlywed groom was looking at spending several hours in the hospital while the bite was assessed.
As the paramedics readied the groom for the trip to the hospital, the bride — his wife of less than two hours — got into the ambulance with him, while Mae followed by car.
Shortly after getting to the hospital it was determined that no venom had been injected and the groom was thankfully free of any symptoms. Staff at Poudre Valley hospital patched Benson up and sent him on his way as soon as possible, to get him out in time for the couple to make it to their own wedding reception.
Mae drove the three of them to the reception venue, with the happy couple walking in to the cheers and hugs of the guests just an hour behind schedule.
“I’ve never seen such a emotional ‘grand entrance’,” Mae told us. “All 184 guests cheered when Johnny and Laura walked in, and showered them in a sea of passionate hugs. I admire them so much for staying calm, and holding each other’s hand through the first great test of their brand new marriage. The whole reception was filled with laughs, smiles and jokes.”
“My favourite image of the situation,” she added. “Is when we heard at the hospital that Jonny was going to be okay, and they are both just all smiles. We were so relieved that he could go back to the reception and enjoy their party with their friends and family!”
Though the day didn’t go as planned, the photographer is thankful she was able to be a part of it and provide the couple with truly unique photo memories. “The whole situation was so surreal,” she told us. “I couldn’t really help in any way except continue to do my job and capture the story of their wedding day. I’m glad I got to tell their story!”
You can see more of Maddie Mae’s adventure wedding photography on her website and connect with her on Facebook.
This article was written by Philippa Edwards and was first published on DigitalRev. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more photography stories.
