A bride and groom soaked by a downpour during their wedding ceremony spontaneously jumped in a nearby lake for a series of stunning photographs.
Thad Barrington, 25, and his wife, Faith, 23, met and fell in love at Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center in Kingston, Tennessee, where Faith grew up.
When they were younger, the couple spent a summer working together at the camp, so they decided the venue would be the perfect spot for their big day.
Getting married in East Tennessee in April can be risky for weather reasons, Faith said, but five days before the wedding their nerves were calmed when the forecast read that it would be cloudy but there was no chance of rain during the ceremony and reception.
No one had umbrellas or a backup plan, Faith added, but during the earlier tree-planting ceremony, on April 4, they started to feel sprinkles of rain.
When the pair then started exchanging rings during the ceremony itself, that sprinkle turned to a downpour, with Faith, Thad and all their guests getting soaked in the process.
As the couple made their way back down the aisle, their wedding coordinator encouraged them to quickly get to the chapel to dry off.
Faith, however, had other plans, saying she “didn’t think but just acted,” and decided they should run and jump in the nearby lake, where they shared so many great memories when they were younger.
The swift decision was captured on video and in photos by the couple’s quick-acting photographer, Ann Huck, who chased the pair as they jumped into the water, hugged and laughed, and posed for photographs.
Both being “Type A” people, Faith and Thad said such a spontaneous moment was exactly what needed to happen as they literally jumped into married life together – and it turned out to be their favorite part of the day.
The couple then headed back to dry off, and when Ann, of Ann Huck Photo, later shared her images and videos on social media, the moment went incredibly viral.
People from all over the world praised Faith and Thad’s spontaneity, and having initially worried about the weather, the couple said they wouldn’t change a thing.
Faith said: “Thad and I both took it as it came.
“It felt like a wake-up call.
“So spontaneous and unpredictable, but exactly as it should be.
“We walked back down the aisle, our coordinator told us to quickly make our way to the chapel, and something in me shifted.
“I did not think or plan, I only acted.
“I looked at Thad and said, ‘Let’s jump in the lake,’ and so we did.
“We were already soaking wet, and it just made sense for us.
“We are both such planners and type A people, and the fact that we were able to just take a leap, literally, was exactly what needed to happen.
“It was our favorite moment of the day.”
