Have you ever witnessed a tragedy at a wedding?
Jay Gairson, Immigration and National Security Attorney
Updated Mar 21 · Upvoted by Laurie Parks, Several years of working as a bridal stylist, consultant, and wedding planner.
“The groom may kiss the bride.”A gigantic smooch followed.
The couple turned to the audience in the chapel and announced, “Everyone, we would like to give you a hug before you leave. Please wait in your seats so we can hug everyone in your aisle.”
Everyone in the last row groaned, because the service had been well over 90 minutes and everyone had to go to the bathroom. The little kids started complaining, but we all patiently waited.
Row one was done, two, three, four, five . . . at about halfway down the chapel, around row 12, tragedy struck. The bride stepped too far into the pews to give a hug to one of her favorite guests. And the bride’s dress burst into flame as its train slipped over the top of one of the burning candles lining the aisle. The groom stood there stunned as smoke billowed upward from the back of the dress and his wife was engulfed in flames. Frantically people leaped forward to try to figure out what to do as everyone tried to process exactly what happened.
The photographer performed a miracle — she was worth her weight in gold and to this day I hope someone paid her accordingly. She let go of her camera, rushed forward down the aisle with long strides, pulled off her jacket while moving, bent down, pulled the dress together, and wrapped her jacket around it smothering the fire. She pulled the jacket off, as smoke still spewed upwards, and the dress was a blackened horrific mess on the back. Quickly she reached up into her hair, started yanking out bobby pins, and pinned the dress together so only the white lace was showing. She then stood up, checked that the bride was okay, walked back to her camera, and picked up again with taking photographs.
