A newlywed couple certainly had a wedding day to remember after a rattlesnake bit the groom while they were taking photos by a picturesque reservoir.
Laura Loretz, 33, and Johnny Benson, of Fort Collins, Colorado, got married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Monday afternoon.
Then, along with their bridal party, they headed to the Horsetooth Reservoir to take some pictures before making their way to their reception.
While the bridal party went to the reception venue, Johnny, 44, stayed behind to get the perfect shot at sunset with his new wife.
As their wedding photographer took pictures of the couple walking hand in hand along a trail, Johnny was bitten on his ankle - but after a quick stop at the hospital, they made it to their wedding reception to dance the night away with their guests.
'All of a sudden it was like someone kicked me in the shin,' he told the Denver Post. 'Then I looked over and saw the snake sitting there, and it was rattling.'
A Larimer County park ranger soon came to their aid and the groom was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital to be treated for the bite.
Fortunately, it was a 'dry bite' – meaning no venom was injected – so after a tetanus shot, the couple made it to their evening reception.
Laura described the incident as 'pretty epic'.
'It was scary for a minute,' she told the Post. 'Once we got to the emergency room, it was super, super fast.'
His lucky day! Fortunately, the snake bite was not venomous so Laura and Johnny were able to make it to their wedding reception together
Mae said they had been just 50 feet from the parking lot by the reservoir when the rattlesnake bit Johnny on the ankle, so they tried to flag down a park ranger who was driving by.
'All three of us started waving furiously at him. 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",' Mae said.
Eventually, the ranger got the message and helped the groom lay down and keep his leg elevated as they waited for paramedics to arrive.
'Not knowing if the rattler had injected venom, the initial prognosis was pretty dire,' she added.
At best, Johnny would need to be in hospital for several hours for the bite to be assessed or, at worst, if he needed anti-venom treatment, he was facing a hospital stay of several days.
'Shortly after we got there, it was determined that no venom had been injected and Johnny still had no swelling or no symptoms. The people at in the ER at Poudre Valley Hospital then became the heroes as they made it the world's shortest ER visit in history,' she said.
The newlyweds were back in their photographer's car and driving to their reception in less than 20 minutes, where they were greeted by 184 cheering guests.
'I've never seen such a emotional grand entrance as all 184 guests cheered when Johnny and Laura walked in, and showered them in a sea of passionate hugs,' Mae added.
'I admire Laura and Johnny 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 about it being a typical 'Johnny Benson' wedding experience.
'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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