A Louisiana newlywed recently recounted a nightmarish situation that unfolded at her wedding last year.
Breaux Bridge resident Catherine Franks, 28, told the story in a TikTok video that racked up more than a half-million views. She and her husband, Alex Franks, met on Hinge in 2022, before tying the knot in a July 2023 ceremony.
Franks, who works as a speech therapist, explained that the 100-degree heat took a toll shortly after she said "I do," on her special day.
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"We get to the wedding and get to the ceremony and I start feeling a bit light-headed at the altar with everyone watching," Franks explained.
"I think we had just said ‘I do’ and were waiting on the final prayer so we were technically married. [But] we’d been standing there for about 40 minutes."
The groom soon noticed that the bride, who was suffering from dizziness, was unwell.
"My husband knew something was wrong and kept looking at me," the wife said. "I started getting tunnel vision and feeling really light-headed."
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Video from the day shows Franks collapsing three times at the altar. The audience, which was made up of 300 people, was heard gasping while the woman's husband and bridesmaids rushed to help her.
"My husband was really worried about me," she added. "He said to me, ‘It’s OK, you’ll be fine.’ He really talked me down from freaking out too much."
Guests began fanning Franks, who eventually mustered the strength to get up.
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"I didn’t faint again, but I got sick," she added. "I got sick on the bus [that I rented], and then I was fine for the rest of the night."
It turned out that the bride's malady was related to the 100-degree heat.
"I actually went to the emergency room the next day because we think I had a little virus, and I was so dehydrated," she said. "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."
The couple is expecting a baby girl in April, and Franks says she'll share the story with her daughter one day.
"This will be a funny moment we can share with our daughter in years to come!"
