Watch a Groom Surprise His Bride With an Owl Ring Bearer

1 minute read

Shaun Palmer of Sunderland, England, surprised his bride Adele at their wedding with an owl ring bearer that flew down the aisle to deliver the rings.

The bird went by Bilbo, the name of the protagonist in The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel, and the Lord of the Rings series.

The clip was first uploaded on Dec. 4, but it is now going viral.

Though incorporating a bird into the ceremony might not be the mark of a traditional wedding, the practice is something of a growing trend in the U.K. where several companies hire out barn owls that have been trained to deliver wedding rings.

Behind the Picture: Hansel Mieth's Wet, Unhappy Monkey

A rhesus monkey in Puerto Rico, 1938.
A rhesus monkey in Puerto Rico, 1938.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com