Ring-bearing owl causes chaos at British wedding

March 27 (UPI) -- An attempt to use a trained owl as a ring bearer at a British couple's wedding led to disaster when the bird knocked a groomsman out of his chair.

Photographer Stacey Oliver recorded video as the owl flew from the back of the ceremony at Peckforton Castle in Tarporley, England, to one of the groom's three best men, who stood by the alter waiting to receive the rings.

The best man appears to have trouble getting the rings from the owl's talon, causing another of the best men, who is seated nearby, to point at the bird and draw its attention.

The owl crashes into the seated man, knocking him to the ground.

Oliver said Jeni Arrowsmith and Mark Wood's wedding was made unforgettable by the incident.

"The owl sees it as a sign to fly to the hand. The owl has just dived in and hit the guy -- who is terrified of birds. [He] fell off his chair," Oliver told the BBC.

She said it took some time for the registrar to regain control of the crowd.

"I was chuckling that much inside that my stomach was hurting," Oliver said. "Everyone was absolutely hysterical."