While using a majestic owl swooping down to deliver the rings during your wedding may sound romantic, one ring-bearing owl named Darcy recently stalled a U.K. couple's ceremony after falling asleep on the rafters of the church, the Telegraph reports, effectively ruining the surprise.
Darcy remained perched in the rafters of the 900-year old Holy Cross Church in Sherston, Wilts, England for an hour, the rings attached to two red tassels on his feet. While his handlers attempted to coax him down, Darcy was keen on his nap. Luckily, Rev. Chris Bryan said the ceremony was able to go on with a back-up pair of rings.
"It would have been absolutely superb if it worked. It was a lovely idea and it was supposed to be really stunning," Rev. Bryan told the Telegraph. "It was a complete surprise to the groom, although the bride was in on it. It was the bride's mother's idea."
The bride was inspired to use the owl by her groom's love of falconry, Bryan explained, so she "secretly arranged for two falconers to suddenly appear at the moment when the best man hands over the rings."
"This chap popped up at the front of the church next to us with a gauntlet on, as another chap appeared at the back of the church with a box. The owl appeared, and took a bit of coaxing to take to flight," he said. "It paused for a little bit, eventually saw the gauntlet, and then took off. But instead of landing on the arm of the man by us and delivering the rings it went up over our heads and landed up in the roof space." The idea was it would be amazing and would swoop over the heads of the guests, and they'd all feel the air rushing from its wings, but it didn't quite work like that."
Despite the small setback, the bride, groom and their guests were able to find humor in the wacky situation, and Darcy was present - albeit asleep - while Rev. Bryan led the prayers, which he says gave the ceremony a nice touch.
By the time Darcy was finally brought back down using a ladder to retrieve him, the newly married couple from Oxfordshire had already left the church.
Click here to see a photo of Darcy, the ring-bearing owl who decided to take a nap during the wedding ceremony he was supposed to officiate.
