Not even a snake bite could deter this groom from attending his own wedding.
On Tuesday, wedding photographer Maddie Mae posted an incredible story on Facebook, which involved a wedding photo shoot, a rattlesnake and a trip to the hospital.
"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 on their wedding day," wrote Mae on Facebook. "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.
According to Mae, she was taking photos of newlyweds Johnny Benson and Laura Loretz on their wedding day, about 50-feet from a parking lot in Fort Collins, Colorado, when a rattlesnake startled them and bit the groom's ankle.
Luckily, a Park Ranger happened to be driving by, and "all [three] of us started waving furiously at him," recalled Mae. "He rolls down the window and we yelled, 'He just got bit by a rattlesnake!!' The ranger, obviously not hearing what we said, yelled back, 'CONGRATULATIONS!!' at the couple in wedding clothes. But then when he got the message he came over and had Johnny lay down and elevate his leg while the paramedics were arriving."
Because the Park Ranger didn't know if the snake had injected venom into the groom's ankle, they didn't know how long he would need to be in the hospital for. According to Mae, if Benson needed anti-venom, he could be in the hospital for several days, thus missing his wedding reception.
When they got to the hospital, doctors determined that no venom had been injected and Benson had no swelling or symptoms. Except for a few holes in his calf, the groom was cleared to leave the hospital after about 20 minutes, and the couple was able to make it to their reception, just an hour late.
"I’ve never seen such a emotional 'grand entrance' as all 184 guests cheered when Johnny & Laura walked in, and showered them in a sea of passionate hugs," wrote Mae. "The whole situation was so surreal, and I couldn’t really help in any way except continue to do my job and capture the story of their wedding day."
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