How To Dump a Bride on Her Wedding Night

This isn’t a scene from a trash-the-dress, post-wedding shoot.
“It was a legitimate accident,” says Liam Hennessey, owner of Applehead Studio, and official photographer on the big day. A 10-year veteran of the wedding photography industry, this was the first time he’d witnessed a debacle of this magnitude—an accident not even a Tide To Go pen could fix.

After dinner Hennessey stole the bride and groom for a few minutes to take advantage of a stunning sunset. That’s when it happened.

“The bride, Miriam, suggested getting into the canoe, I thought it was a great idea,” confirms Hennessey. In the dusk, as the bride leaned over to get into the canoe, she put too much weight on one gunwale. She plunged into the shallows with a splash and a yell.

“She was literally knee-deep in mud 15 minutes before the first dance,” says Hennessey. “My first reaction—right or wrong—was to shoot, shoot, shoot.” The cameras weren’t set up for the light yet, so getting the image right was a shot in the dark for Hennessey and his assistant.

“My right-hand man, Steph, held up a flash as Miriam was coming up. I let off a few shots as her husband reached out his hand—terrified, I think—but she came up laughing.” Miriam went back to the reception drenched and covered in mud, cleaned herself up and then danced until 4 a.m.

“It’s one of those things that could have been a complete disaster, but to them it was hilarious. Her reaction? ‘Fuck it, let’s have fun,’” says Hennessey.

“It’s a great example of how things can go wrong and there’s nothing you can do about it except choose how you deal with it,” says Hennessey. After a moment’s pause he adds, “Though, there might be a lesson here about canoe safety, too.” —Kaydi Pyette

This article first appeared in the 2015 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine and get 25 years of digital magazine archives including our legacy titles: Rapid, Adventure Kayak and Canoeroots.