Bride’s Bouquet Ruins Her Big Day
Your wedding day is meant to be the most memorable and happiest day of your life. Little girls dream of their fairytale weddings their whole lives. A beautiful white gown, daddy walking them down the aisle, and prince charming waiting for them at the altar. For one Nebraska bride, her fairytale wedding did not go exactly the way she had always dreamed it would be. Christine Miller got way more than she bargained for, and her wedding almost turned into a funeral thanks to one minor oversight. One trip to the ER later, the happy couple could embark on their journey together, but you will never believe the storybook ending they got. Have a look at Christine and Jon Miller’s crazy nuptial narrative.
Nebraska Nuptials
Christine and Jon got married in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2017. The outdoorsy couple was preparing for a gorgeous spring wedding in a forest near their homes. Everything was planned and looking just how they had pictured it. Just a few last-minute touches, and it was set to be the wedding of their dreams.
The night before her wedding, Christine stayed up late with her helpful bridesmaids to finish their bouquets, ensuring they were fresh for the next day. This resourceful bride opted to pick the flowers on her own property and got arms full of beautiful flowers.
The Morning Of
As morning broke, Christine was filled with excitement and nerves for her big day. But that wasn’t the only feeling that overcame her. When she got up early to wash her face, she was overcome by a terrible burning sensation.
“I had walked out of the bathroom, and my sister said my face was red and bumpy. It started going down my neck and arms.” Christine also explains that within 30 minutes, her eyes were burning, and they had swollen shut.
Home Remedies
Christine’s eyes and skin rash were not getting any better. Luckily her aunt, a nurse was there, and tried to help her ease the pain. She gave her some Benadryl and steroid cream to try and stop it from getting any worse.
“They were burning pretty bad,” Christine says. “I kept my eyes shut while I got my hair done and even tried to calm them with cucumbers, but when I opened my eyes, everything was super blurry, and I couldn’t see.”
Get Me To the Church On Time
Christine was not going to let anything stop her on her big day. She mustered up the courage and put on her white lace gown. Through all the pain, swelling, and itching, she made it to the ceremony in time.
When looking back on the wedding videos, you can clearly see Christine is not doing so great. Guests might even have thought she was getting cold feet! “I was the scariest looking person at my wedding,” she said. “Scary” isn’t really how you want to be described on your wedding day.
Forget About the Rings
Wedding ceremonies can often get long and drawn out when you feel like you are on the brink of death. That is not ideal when you are suffering from a debilitating allergic reaction. You want to get to the “I Do’s” as fast as possible so you can get help. Traditions and ceremonies are the last things on your mind. She even had her veil fall off twice during the nuptials, and things were not going at all how she had dreamed of.
The pastor officiating their wedding quickly got the message that something drastic was wrong with the bride. He rushed through the ceremony so fast that they completely forgot about the exchanging of rings! There were bigger fish to fry by that stage.
Is There a Doctor in the House?
As soon as they said, “I do,” Jon rushed Christine to the hospital to get some urgent medical attention. Their decision to first complete the ceremony created an unforeseen bump in the road, and getting treatment turned out to be a little difficult.
Christine’s maiden name is Green, and her insurance was still under that name. Her name change earlier that day created mass confusion when she needed treatment the most! There was also a long line at the clinic which forced them to try another clinic.
Getting Jabbed
Christine had been popping Benadryl since the morning to try and get her reaction under control. The over-the-counter treatments were not easing her allergy and she now needed professional help stat. Eventually, they were able to see a nurse who identified the cause of the problem, and knew exactly what was needed next.
The medicine worked really fast, and in practically no time at all, Christine was feeling better and ready to get back to their big day. Their wedding guests were eagerly waiting at the reception to see if the newlyweds would be able to make it back.
What’s the Rush?
Guests were left scratching their heads as to why Christine insisted on continuing with the wedding. Nobody would have been mad if they postponed for a couple of hours to ensure that the bride received the medical attention she needed.
“Jon and I didn’t live together before we were married, and that’s something we had really been looking forward to for the last five years of dating,” Christine said. “I had every dinner that next week I was going to make planned, I was ready to go to sleep and wake up next to my husband, so for me, it just didn’t feel like an option.”
Wedding Prep
Christine opted to try and save money where she could and customized a lot of the wedding features herself. When she could not do it alone, she enrolled the help of friends, family, and of course, her handsome groom.
But saving money on planners and decorators meant Christine was exhausted when her wedding day came around. She only got an hour’s sleep the night before her wedding, and she likely brushed off her symptoms as exhaustion at first.
The Culprit
The flowers she picked for her wedding arrangements and bouquet came from her property. Wildflowers would give her wedding the beautiful rustic look she was going for. And the fact that they came from her property made it even more special.
One of the main flowers she picked is called “snow-on-the-mountain” and made a lovely addition to her arrangements. Little did she know that this attractive flower is akin to poison ivy and can cause insufferable pain when it comes in contact with your skin. When she washed her face, this reaction was set in motion.
What About the Reception?
After the bride received the medical care she needed, it was time for them to join their guests, who were still patiently waiting at the reception. But Christine could not bear the thought of going back there in a stuffy tight dress. She was severely uncomfortable, and a plan had to be made.
Jon made another unexpected pit stop to try and help out his new wife. Target was their saving grace! This is another place Christine never thought she would end up on her wedding day. Nonetheless, Target is where Jon bought her a new reception outfit.
Plan B
Christine had to forgo her beautiful lace fit-and-flare dress for something way more comfortable. Jon purchased a t-shirt from Target with the word “Bride” printed on the front in big black letters. How fortunate that they had her size in stock!
To complement her dashing shirt, he also purchased a pair of comfy flannel pajama pants! Nothing sounds more uncomfortable than itchy lace scratching over-sensitive, allergic skin, so we can’t blame Christine for wanting to switch to this comfortable ensemble in the end.
The Aftermath
“My eyes were pouring out water constantly. I’ve never had sensitive eyes, but now it seems like I have to wear sunglasses, or else it’s impossible to keep my eyes open when it’s sunny,” Christine says. “My eyes, when cutting onions, seem to be a lot more sensitive now, but I can’t tell if it’s in my head or it’s really happening. My overall eyesight is fine, though.”
The Benadryl and eye drops her aunt gave her on the day were a temporary fix, but at least it was enough to get her through the ceremony. After an action-packed day, the couple was finally able to move into their new home together. But this is not where we leave them to live “happily ever after” just yet.
Take 2
It’s safe to say Christine was looking less than spectacular on her big day, on account of her being poisoned and all. Luckily her photographer was feeling very generous and offered to retake her wedding day photos. Without poisonous flowers this time!
The couple redid their wedding photos in a luscious field with an even more beautiful bunch of hypo-allergenic flowers. They both look happy and stress-free as Christine had made a full recovery by then, and they have now officially entered their “honeymoon phase.”
Minor Celebrity
After all the craziness on their wedding day, their story caught the attention of celebrities and media all over the country. Christine posted this picture on Instagram and wrote in the captions: “I’ve been the front page of the paper 3 times.”
“Once at 4 years old, mutton busting at the rodeo. Another time at 17 years old, caught the greased pig at the Fair. 3rd time? At 23, My wedding day was so disastrous even @owhphotos [Omaha World-Herald] had something to write about. As you can see, I’m really thriving and fulfilling those dreams I have…”
A-list Phone Call
The couple’s crazy story didn’t end on the front page of the Omaha World-Herald. A Hollywood A-lister got word of their tale and decided to reach out to try and find a silver lining to the whole debacle. This was none other than daytime talk show legend Steve Harvey!
“I didn’t think this would get so big, at all,” she said excitedly. “It’s insane.” The couple suffered from some stage fright on the show and felt they didn’t come across very naturally. “We’re really bad. My excuse the whole time is we’re from Nebraska, and we don’t do this.”
A Big Surprise
Being guests on Harvey’s show was already a huge honor, but the kind-hearted host had other plans for the couple. He sent the couple off on an all-expenses-paid trip to the happiest place on Earth, Disney Land! We think that’s a pretty wonderful consolation prize.
The couple recreated their ceremony, and they had a very special guest of honor. The man himself, Steve Harvey, officiated the wedding. “We had so much fun recreating a new wedding day,” the bride said. “I’m not an emotional person at all, but I actually started crying at our new ceremony.”
Second Time’s the Charm
What do you think was Christine’s favorite part of her new wedding ceremony? “I think having somebody handing me a bouquet I could see, and seeing my husband — and my dad crying. Actually seeing people and seeing their faces,” she laughed.
“I could actually see what my husband looked like,” she explained. “We were able to say vows to each other that meant so much to one another, and we can look back and remember every little thing going exactly as planned. It was beautiful and more than I could’ve ever expected someone to ever do for us.”
Honeymoon Time
Harvey was not done with the surprises yet! He sent the dotting couple on an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii for their honeymoon. After all of this madness, the couple certainly needed some rest and relaxation. They unquestionably earned it!
But the couple had a little surprise of their own. Christine was pregnant! Jon called it their “babymoon” as they were expecting a baby girl during that time. Does the excitement ever end with these two? Christine later gave birth to a healthy and happy baby.
Where Are They Now?
The Miller clan of 3 are happily living in Nebraska and are pretty happy that their lives are now back to normal. Jon is earning a living working in construction management. His wife is working as a real estate agent.
“We still live our simple little life that we like,” Christine explained. Hopefully, the couple has learned to do some research before picking wildflowers all willy-nilly! Their story might not have started too great, but in the end, they got a bigger surprise than anyone could have ever imagined. Now they can live happily ever after!