Some of the world’s finest wedding photography is purely a matter of chance.

Take the couple bathed by an ethereal glow moments before Storm Ophelia hit in Northumberland, for example, or the bride and groom who appeared to walk on water after heavy rainfall over the salt flats of Utah. 

So, even if you’re one of those photographers who’s willing to hang upside down from a tree to get the perfect shot, you may as well concede that - no matter how hard you try - fate will always deliver the best hand.

That’s certainly the case for Sheffield duo Kevin and Jess Ryan-Smith. 

Kevin took to Twitter to mark their third anniversary recently, sharing a unique wedding photo that quickly went viral.

At first glance, the image appears to be your typical kiss-the-bride snap; until you notice the bridesmaid passed out in the background.

Kevin explained that the woman in question - his sister - “fainted at the exact moment the judge says you may kiss the bride”.

It was “a split-second photograph,” he explains,  “A few seconds later we were all over her!”

Naturally, the people of Twitter leapt upon this saga, with Kevin’s photo prompting an uproar of reaction.

Luckily, the bridesmaid in question came out unscathed.

And she can take heart from the fact that fainting at weddings is far from an uncommon occurrence… 

As far as kiss-the-bride moments go, this one trumps the lot. 

At a time when all photos are filtered and edited to within an inch of their lives, it stands out for its sheer renegade value.

No carefully positioned veils or artful glimpses of sunlight: it’s just life, in all its messy brilliance.

Also, it’s a great metaphor for the kind of gut-busting effort involved in your average bridesmaid gig.

Exorbitant hen nights, place decorations, keeping the bride happy - the list of tasks never ends.

As one Twitter user puts it:

Still, all’s went that ends well.

“We restarted the first kiss once my sister was OK and sitting down,” Kevin says. “Everything was pretty normal for the rest of the evening.”

Photos: Twitter, Unsplash