Bedford rowers save bride’s veil after wind blows it into river

Newlyweds Tina and Steve Appleford had just tied the knot and were posing for wedding photos beside the River Great Ouse in Bedford on September 18.

But a sudden strong gust ripped the bride's veil from her head and sent it sailing through the air and into the water.

Steve's groomsmen attempted a rescue but couldn't reach the veil before it floated off downstream.

Luckily, two quick-thinking members of Bedford's Star Club Rowing spotted the drama unfolding and offered to help.

The rowers had to work together to stop the veil from sinking with their oars before carefully manoeuvring alongside it to fish it from the water.

Tina, 54, of Burton Latimer, Northants, said she found the rescue "hilarious" – but had to bin the veil after it turned green from river water.

The mum-of-two, who works as a senior administrator, said: “We got married at the Bedford Swan Hotel and we went across the river for some photos.

“They took one of me laying down in the arms of the lads and that’s when the veil flew off.

“My husband thought it was a bird coming for him at first and ducked out of the way.

“We only noticed it was gone after we’d rearranged ourselves.

“One of our friends noticed some rowers and they said ‘don’t worry I’ll save it’.

“They were laughing, they were only young lads from the rowing club who helped us, but they were good to help us.

“They tried throwing it up to us but that didn’t work, so they managed to stop it from sinking and then one of the guests ran down to meet them."

She added: “People kept asking if we were upset by it, but I think it just adds to the day.

“Someone kindly washed it for us but by the next morning it had turned green, so we had to bin it.”

Wedding photographer Samantha Laird captured the scene and said the pictures made for some rather unique photos for Tina and Steve, 57, a motorcycle instructor.

Samantha, who runs Laird and Lens Photography, said: "A couple of the groom's friends tried working out a way to rescue it whilst the bride was laughing, luckily, saying: 'This is hilarious'.

"One of the men saw the rowers travelling up towards us and ran down towards them to ask for help.

"The rowers were very eager to help, which I thought was lovely.

"The first rower fished it out of the river easily but then couldn’t work out how to get it back up to the bride – he threw it but it didn’t reach the side so fell back into the river.

"The two rowers then had to work together to get it back out using their oars to stop it from sinking.

"They eventually got it back out and found a lower place to pass it to a groomsman with the help of a member of the public."