BASED ON TRUE STORY - I Lost The Bride's Ring.

Wedding Stories - I felt like sharing one of my early wedding “nightmares” that has taught me not to take risks with the rings...

One of the highlights of any wedding is to obviously photograph the couple’s weddings rings....and so this was the case on the Saturday morning, the day of the wedding. The rings were handed over to me and when I was them, honestly I just though...wow....expensive! and they were so personal because Matt had Tara's finger prints embedded on the inside of his ring and the same for Tara.

So I carefully took them (the rings) and off to the garden I went. I would place the rings on small twigs and "click, click"...place them over here on a rock and "click click" again being careful to portray the beautiful African landscapes in which we found ourselves in. Mrs. Webster (the groom’s mother) was sitting in the veranda enjoying the scenery together with 3 other family members, and I was in their full view, so of course I needed to show them how a photographer works....right!

Model: Tatenda Gowe

Then I see this aloe plant, it stood about one and a half meters off the ground....the idea was to place the grooms ring first of the aloe leaf then place Tara’s ring just next to it balancing on its side....hmmmmm. Matt's ring went onto the leaf, perfect...Tara's ring stayed on the aloe leaf for roughly 7 tenths of a second and “plonk into the dense hedge foliage below.....

I froze….then I froze again!
My mind raced ... and strength went out of me in tiny puffs of smoke…

Oh noooo...my whole life flashed before me…I remembered my kids, my wife, my school days, beautiful moments with my family … it was like a movie…I was now in Zombieland…

It was at that moment that I started to sweat...!!!!!! they are getting married in a few hours...what have I done!!!!
....well whatever I do I better not panic and let Mrs Webster notice….in my frozen state of mind I needed to continue to “photograph” the rings although one was none existent at that moment. I turned around to survey the terrain behind me, 20 meters away, and yep…Mrs Webster was still there, looking my way….I looked into this thicket of a hedge and all I saw was “green shrub”.

Model: Tatenda Gowe

So I needed to find the ring and at the same time keep composure…so I decided to start to looking for the ring through the camera viewfinder…I zoom in zoom out…just praying that I am seen as still “photographing”… to say I was was panicking was such an understatement at that moment!!!

Model: Tatenda Gowe

I looked and looked, searched and searched, debated whether or not to uproot part of the this hedge…but the ring would just definitely get lost…I saw Colin and Liam (the brothers)…must I ask for help??? Hmmmm,….that would send panic stations throughout the whole camp…I tell you I prayed…I prayed Jesus I need you now! Eish it was tough…

Model: Tatenda Gowe

Twenty minutes later, after much sweat and I caught a glimpse of a precious stone and phew…I found it!!

Anyway, the rest of the wedding was absolutely precious. Thanks Matt and Tara!

The Lesson Is: Take Precautions With The Rings.