Though Johnny Benson had two telltale puncture marks on his leg, photographer Maddie Mae said, "they stopped posing but I didn't stop photographing."
This couple took the phrase, "in sickness and in health" literally when the new groom was bitten by a rattlesnake — and the wedding photographer made sure they had enough memories to last a lifetime.
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Maddie Mae, who calls herself an adventure wedding photographer, told InsideEdition.com that the Colorado couple wanted to take pictures at the nearby Horsetooth Reservoir before the reception.
But as the newlyweds took their first pictures as a married couple, disaster struck.
Laura and Johnny Benson walked ahead as Mae snapped photos behind them on a trail. Suddenly, the groom felt something hit his leg.
"At first he wasn't really sure he had gotten bit. He bent down and rolled up his pant leg," Mae said.
Then he saw the two tiny puncture marks, characteristic of a snake bite. Then came the sound of the telltale rattle.
"None of us panicked. We were just trying to figure out the best way to handle it," the photographer explained.
Despite the bite, Mae said, "they stopped posing, but I didn't stop photographing."
As luck would have it, they spotted a park ranger moments later in their secluded hike, but at first he didn't seem to realize the severity of the situation.
"He responded, 'Congratulations!'" Mae said, assuming that the ranger only saw the groom and bride in her wedding dress. "I don't think he heard us."
Finally, they were able to flag him down and bring him over.
The ranger ordered Johnny to lay on his ground and elevate his leg as he called paramedics.
"[It was] a really serious deal," Mae said. "We had no idea what the prognosis was going to be. Rattlesnake bites could have been very serious."
Meanwhile, guests at their wedding were already waiting at the reception.
"Laura was the first person to chat with one of her bridesmaids, and she picked a non-hysterical one, who has a really good head on her shoulders" Mae explained.
"They eventually made an announcement. They decided the party was going to continue to go on," Mae continued. "Nobody left, it was amazing."
Luckily, the couple received good news at the hospital. He was in fact bitten by a rattlesnake, but no venom was released.
"He was showing no symptoms, no pain, no discoloration," Mae explained. They were released within 20 minutes of arriving at the hospital.
When they finally appeared at their own wedding reception, "All 184 guests were cheering and laughing and just so happy they were there."
