NEED TO KNOW
- A rockslide interrupted a couple’s secret elopement ceremony in Ivins, Utah during their ring exchange
- The photographer described the unexpected moment as exciting and said it made the day even more memorable
- No injuries were reported as the falling rocks stayed high on the mountainside and didn’t reach the ceremony site
A couple’s intimate wedding took an unexpected turn when a sudden rockslide interrupted their ceremony, creating a dramatic moment that was caught on video.
The incident occurred in Ivins, Utah, where the couple had traveled from out of state for a secret elopement, according to KSL. In the footage, a plume of dust can be seen rising from the mountainside as a loud, rumbling sound echoes through the area.
Eyewitness Shane Schieve told PEOPLE the moment unfolded around 6:01 p.m., as the ceremony was nearing its end.
Schieve, who had loaned his classic car — a 1970 SS 454 Monte Carlo that has been in his family since his childhood — for the couple’s photo shoot, said he was watching the ceremony when the “really loud” noise suddenly rang out. At first, he thought it might be a military aircraft.
“I can understand why people say they’ve seen UFO’s don’t get pictures, because it took everything I had to stop looking at it in awe and get my phone out and start [the] video,” he said. “It was so loud, it was a thunderous roar.”
In the immediate aftermath, Schieve recalled blurting out, “talk about a wedding crasher!”
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He added that when he later showed the footage to his mother, she joked, “I hope it doesn’t mean they’re off to a rocky start.”
Despite the startling interruption, the experience ultimately felt serendipitous. “We were just at the right place, at the right time,” Schieve said, noting that the couple had changed their minds just days earlier about where to hold the ceremony.
No injuries were reported. According to Schieve, the falling rocks remained high on the mountainside and did not reach the base or nearby parking lot.
PEOPLE has reached out to local authorities for additional information.
