Hedwig Gone Rogue: This British Couple Learned The Hard Way Why Having An Owl As A Ring-Bearer Is A TERRIBLE Idea
For one charming young British couple, getting married in an IRL castle didn’t give off enough of a Harry Potter vibe to ensure that they would both experience the most magical wedding day that money can buy.
Because using a niece or nephew of the bride or groom is the tired, easy choice for selecting a ring-bearer and often reserved for peasant normies, Jeni Arrowsmith and Mark Wood splashed more than just a few pounds to hire an owl as the only non-human member of their wedding party.
Tying the knot at Peckforton Castle, Tarporley, in Cheshire, England, these two Brits learned the hard way that owls can and WILL go rogue–with no regard for both the venue and the wedding party’s preference to go home with all of their limbs intact.
The Best Laid Plans Of Owls And Men
Jeni Arrowsmith and Mark Wood certainly had lofty goals for their big day. Not wanting to insult their posh guests with the reductive display of a small child teetering down the aisle to give them their rings, the couple dropped some serious pound sterling to secure an owl-for-hire as part of the wedding party.
Because really, how could having a wild animal perform a service in a small, enclosed setting EVER go wrong?
Hedwig, Is That You?
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While every self-respecting Harry Potter fan knows that Hedwig can hold her own against a troop of Death Eaters, there’s a reason why she didn’t carry the rings for Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour.
Shortly after the majestic white barn owl began to travel down the aisle, it went feral and set its sights on the groom’s best man.
What was first an enjoyable surprise for the wedding guests turned into a scene straight out of a low-budget horror flick.
Blame The Best Man
Stacey Oliver, the professional photographer hired to snap memorable moments from the wedding knows exactly who to blame for this flurry of feathers.
When one of the groomsmen pointed at the owl, it triggered the animal’s training and he set off–talons up and ready to go.
“The owl sees it as a sign to fly to the hand,” said Oliver. “The owl has just dived in and hit the guy– who is terrified of birds. [He] fell off his chair.”
Pure Terror
As evidenced by the look on the best man’s face, the spontaneous owl attack wasn’t the high point of the day– for him, at least.
While surrounding guests couldn’t hold back their laughter, the best man collapsed to the floor in an attempt to fend off the feral animal.
“For some reason the owl just decided he wanted to go for him and he was just terrified,” said Stacey Oliver, wedding photographer. “He’s absolutely petrified of anything that flies.”