Winging it: Bobby the barn owl causes chaos at wedding

Bobby the barn owl was meant to impress wedding guests and bring a touch of Hogwarts magic to the ceremony by swooping down the aisle to deliver the rings to the happy couple.

But things didn’t quite go to plan for Jeni Arrowsmith and Mark Wood and their guests at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire.

After landing on the arm of one of the best men as planned, the bird of prey began flapping its wings.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Chaos quickly ensued after another of the groom’s best men seated in the front row pointed at the owl, the BBC reports.

“The owl sees it as a sign to fly to the hand,” said wedding photographer Stacey Oliver. “I just instantly knew what was going to happen, I could see it was going to happen.”

The best man – who is reportedly petrified of birds – fell off his chair as the owl swooped at him, prompting hoots of laughter from the crowd.

As the man “tried to regain some composure, the owl, who was by now, without doubt, the star of the show, perched on the table used for signing the register and glowered at the congregation,” the Daily Telegraph reports.

The bride said she and her husband both found it hilarious. “I was chuckling that much inside that my stomach was hurting,” she said. “Everyone was absolutely hysterical.”