This is the unfortunate moment a bride and groom tumble into a river during a photo shoot on their wedding day.
Jamie and Michelle Wade, both 46, were standing in a canoe posing for wedding photos along the River Bure in Norfolk when they ‘went down like the Titanic’ after losing their balance on August 29.
The newlyweds, from Horstead, Norfolk, said the incident was part of a series of mishaps on their big day, but they refused to let it put a dampener on the event.
Phlebotomist Michelle, who wore an £1,800 dress, said: ‘I remember when we were sinking we thought I couldn’t get in – I had a wedding dress on and my hair was done.
‘I had only had that dress on for two hours. We went down like the Titanic. We love the River Bure, but I never thought I’d end up there.
‘Not exactly the elegant newlywed photo we imagined, but somehow it sums up our day perfectly: totally unexpected, slightly chaotic, soaking wet, downright hilarious and full of love.’
Jamie and Michelle Wade, both 46, ‘went down like the Titanic’ after losing their balance while posing for photos in a canoe on August 29
Phlebotomist Michelle, who wore a £1,800 dress, said she and her husband love the River Bure but never thought they would end up in it
The happy couple refused to let their unexpected dip ruin their day and shared a kiss in the water
Michelle and Jamie, a builder, first met at school in 1993. They had been together but split up and went their separate ways as adults.
They reunited during a chance meeting in a Tesco car park in 2016. Five years later they got engaged – on a boat.
Jamie said they ‘have been inseparable ever since’ and have ‘never been apart for more than a day’.
He added: “I had moved back to Norfolk and was going to Tesco one day when I saw Michelle walking through the car park.
‘I had that moment of panic that comes from childhood dreams and I thought, “If I don’t talk to her now, I never will.”
Their journey to the altar was not easy, as Michelle had suffered several miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy – a devastating condition that occurs when a fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus. It is insurmountable for the baby and life-threatening for the mother.
The couple planned to get married last year but postponed it due to the loss of Jamie’s father and Michelle’s mother.
But despite it all, the couple struggled with the odds of getting married at Norwich Castle Museum last month – with more problems than just the unexpected swim.
Jamie said: “First Michelle forgot her bouquet and had to turn around and passed me on the road after we had carefully avoided each other all evening.
‘As I cried my way through an emotional ceremony at Norwich Castle Museum, heavy rain caused confetti to stick to all our guests as they threw it over us.
“It doesn’t rain for months and then, on the day you want to get married, the heavens open.”
After the wedding with 50 guests at Norwich Castle Museum, the couple held their reception at the Grade II listed pub The King’s Head in Coltishall, Norfolk.
Michelle and Jamie were smiling and surrounded by friends and family as they left Norwich Castle Museum as newlyweds
The couple was trying to be creative with their wedding photography when they lost their balance in the canoe
Michelle wrings out her wedding dress during their wedding reception after falling into the river
Jamie laughs off the misfortune as he pours river water from his boot in his soaked suit
It was on nearby Coltishall Common where their newlywed shoot began.
Michelle said: ‘All morning we thought the weather was looking good, and then suddenly rain, thunder, everything.
‘Our photographer told us we wouldn’t take a sunset photo, but we knew we had to be creative. I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was thirteen.’
At that point, the couple carefully got into the canoe before losing their balance and ending up in the river.
To make matters worse, another wedding guest had rushed to see if everything was okay and slipped, breaking his leg.
The pair returned to their 120-strong wedding reception, much to the shock of their guests.
Jamie said: “We took it completely at ease. Michelle looked absolutely beautiful before and after the dunk.
‘She just shook out her soaked hair, straightened her dress and gave me a big hug.
‘I’ve been tipping water out of my boots all night; every time I emptied them, they were full again moments later.
‘To top it all off, Michelle accidentally put her foot in the fireworks machine and burned her toe. If she hadn’t been wet, she would have gone upstairs.
“We had worked so hard to get to our wedding day and the powers that be had to test us one last time.”
The couple are heading to Corfu on their honeymoon this month, but Michelle added: ‘I think we should probably take a paramedic with us.’
