A BLUSHING bride and groom took a dip on their big day – plunging into a river in full wedding attire while having their photos taken.
Jamie Wade and Michelle, both 46, were posing for photos along the River Bure in Norfolk when they stood in a canoe.
A newlywed couple toppled into a river during a photoshoot when they lost balance in a canoe Credit: SWNS
Jamie and Michelle Wade went overboard when they were hoping to pose for sunset pictures Credit: SWNS
But the newlyweds “went down like the Titanic” after losing their balance and made a splash at their August nuptials.
Jamie and Michelle, who was wearing a £1,800 gown, revealed the accident was part of a string of mishaps on their big day – but it didn’t dampen their spirits.
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Phlebotomist Michelle said: “I can just remember, as we were sinking, thinking I can’t go in – I’ve got a wedding dress on, I’ve had my hair done.
“I’d only had that dress on two hours. We went down like the Titanic.
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“We like the River Bure but I never thought I’d end up in it.
“Not exactly the elegant newlywed photo we had imagined, but somehow it sums up our day perfectly – completely unexpected, slightly chaotic, soaking wet, absolutely hilarious, and filled with love.”
Michelle and Jamie, a builder, first met at school in 1993 and entered a relationship before splitting as they went their separate ways as adults.
It was a chance meeting in a Tesco car park in 2016 when they met again and became engaged in May 2021 – on a boat.
The bride and groom were able to share a kiss in the water despite the mishap Credit: SWNS
The newlywed couple are hoping for better fortunes on their honeymoon Credit: SWNS
Jamie said: “I’d moved back to Norfolk and went to Tesco one day when I saw Michelle walking through the car park.
“I had that panic moment that comes from childhood dreams and I thought ‘if I don’t talk to her now, I never will again’.
“We got engaged in 2021 on a boat and we’ve been inseparable ever since.We’ve never spent more than a day apart.”
Their journey to the altar wasn’t easy as Michelle had suffered several miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy.
The couple, of Horstead in Norfolk, planned to marry in 2025 but postponed following the heart breaking loss of Jamie’s dad and Michelle’s mum.
But despite everything the couple battled the odds to marry at Norwich Castle Museum on August 29 – with more hiccups than just the unexpected swim.
Jamie said: “First, Michelle forgot her bouquet and had to turn back, passing me on the road after we’d carefully avoided seeing each other all the night before.
“Then, as I cried my way through an emotional ceremony at Norwich Castle Museum, torrential rain caused the confetti to stick to all our guests as they threw it over us.
“It doesn’t rain for months and then the day you want to get married, the heavens open.”
Following the 50-guest wedding at Norwich Castle Museum, the couple held their reception at the Grade-II listed pub The King’s Head in Coltishall, Norfolk.
It was on the nearby Coltishall Common that their newlywed shoot began. Michelle said: “All morning we thought the weather looked okay and then suddenly, rain, thunder, everything.
“Our photographer told us we weren’t going to get our sunset picture but we knew we had to get creative. I’d waited since I was 13 for this moment.”
It was then the couple tentatively got into the canoe – before overbalancing and spilling into the river.
To make matters worse, another wedding guest had rushed to see if they were okay and slipped – breaking their leg.
The pair went back to their 120-strong wedding reception to the shock of their guests.
Jamie said: “We took it entirely in our stride. Michelle looked absolutely stunning before and after the dunk. She just shook out her drenched hair, straightened her dress, and gave me a big hug.
“I was tipping water out of my boots all night – every time I emptied them, a little while later they were full again.
“To top it off, Michelle accidentally put her foot in the fireworks machine and burnt her toe. If she hadn’t been wet, she would have gone up.
“We’d worked so hard to get to our wedding day and the powers that be had one last test for us.”
The couple are due to go to Corfu on their honeymoon this month but
Michelle added: “I think we should probably take a paramedic.”
