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Bride collapses at altar seconds after marrying husband as guests try to revive her

Bride collapses at altar seconds after marrying husband as guests try to revive her

Catherine Franks' marriage began on quite a concerning foot

Collapsing at the altar isn't exactly the ideal start to married life, especially when 300 guests are sat there watching.

But that's the predicament Catherine Franks found herself in just seconds after saying 'I do' to her husband, as she suddenly slumped to the ground on arguably the biggest day of her life.

Take a look at this:

The 28-year-old was getting hitched to her fiancé Alex Franks at a church in Louisiana, US, when she suddenly hit the deck in front of hundreds of people - and even the priest looked gravely concerned.

The couple's nuptials were brought to an abrupt halt shortly after they'd got over the main hurdle of saying their vows.

Just an hour before, Catherine had climbed onto a retro school bus to make her way to the ceremony and had been excitedly gushing to her bridesmaids about how she was 'about to become a Franks' officially.

But instead of remembering the moment she became a wife, all the speech therapist recalls is waking up flat on her back while lay across the altar... confusingly surrounded by cowboy boots.

Catherine and Alex's nuptials came to an abrupt stop shortly after they said their vows.
Kennedy News and Media

Moments after exchanging their vows, Catherine explained they were just 'waiting on the final prayer' and were 'technically married', but that she had began to feel the strain of being stood on the altar for around 40 minutes.

She'd already started to feel a 'bit light-headed' shortly after stepping up there, but presumed it was just down to nerves.

However, her head really started to spin in the 37 degree Celsius heat after standing under 'all the lights' for so long and she suddenly fainted, prompting guests to jump out of their seats as the stunned wedding party tried to help her.

Recalling the bizarre moment, the bride explained: "My husband knew something was wrong and kept looking at me, and I said 'I think I'm going to pass out'. I started getting tunnel vision and feeling really light-headed.

"The next thing I knew, I woke up and just saw boots around me because my dad and husband wore cowboy boots."

She collapsed at the altar in front of 300 guests.
Kennedy News and Media

Both Alex, 26, and an array of bridesmaids were seen on video desperately trying to hold her upright as she tumbled to the ground, while further footage shows her laying on the floor as a handful of people fanned her.

Catherine continued: "I was trying to get myself together and gather myself because all these people were here and watching me. I thought 'I just need to get up and finish'. It was so hot on the altar with all the lights.

"My husband was really worried about me. I heard people say 'is she okay?' 'get her some water'. He said to me 'it's okay, you'll be fine', he really talked me down from freaking out too much."

She puts her shock collapse down to heat exhaustion and dehydration, explaining that she ended up going to hospital the following day for treatment.

Her loved ones tried to cool her down after she suddenly hit the deck.
Kennedy News and Media

But Catherine managed to see the funny side of it and has shared the footage of the incident at her wedding in July last year on TikTok, which has now racked up more than 500,000 views.

She said the moment has become a 'family joke' among her nearest and dearest, adding that it will certainly be a funny tale to tell her daughter, who is due in April, one day.

The mum-to-be added: "I'm a pretty clumsy person so I'm kind of used to things like that happening to me.

"At the time it was distressing, but now we look back and laugh. It's funny now. It made the day very memorable! It's now a family joke. This will be a funny moment we can share with our daughter in years to come!"

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media

Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, US News