According to the couple’s wedding photographer, Maddie Mae, they were taking photos about 50 feet from the parking lot at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, Colorado, when the creature attacked. Luckily, a park ranger was driving by at the time and the three of them waved him down.
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“The ranger…yelled back, ‘Congratulations!’ at the couple in wedding clothes,” Maddie tells WomensHealthMag.com. “But then when he got the message, he came over and had Johnny lay down and elevate his leg while the paramedics were arriving.”
Photograph by Maddie May
Initially they weren’t sure if the snake had injected venom or not, so it was unclear whether or not the couple would make it to their reception. Worst-case scenario, Johnny would’ve been stuck in the hospital on anti-venom for days. Luckily, once they arrived at the emergency room, it was determined that no venom had been injected.
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“The people in the ER at Poudre Valley Hospital then became the heroes, as they made it the world’s shortest ER visit in history, and Johnny and Laura were back in my car, driving to their reception in less than 20 minutes,” says Maddie. “We arrived back at the reception, just one hour late.”
Photograph by Maddie May
When it came time for the grand entrance to the reception, Maddie says she has never seen such an emotional response. “The whole reception was filled with laughs, smiles, and jokes about it being a typical ‘Johnny Benson’ wedding experience,” she says.
Photograph by Maddie May
One thing we can take away from this experience—if Laura and Johnny were able to make it through that ordeal, smiling and holding hands the whole time, they’re likely to make it through anything.