And it was all going so well.

One moment the wedding party were laughing and joking as they put on their best smiles for the photographer, the next they were floundering in a muddy lake.

These astonishing images show the moment the wooden decking they were standing on gave way plunging the 80 smartly dressed guests into the water below.

The bizarre dunking happened as bride Marli van der Walt, 34, and her new husband Hoffman, 38, gathered their extended families and friends at a South African beauty spot for a photo of their big day.

First the guests heard creaking and groaning then they grab at railings as the decking gives way


Bystanders come to the aid of wedding guests and help them clamber out of the water. Among those helping is the bride's brother who was the wedding photographer. He ditched his camera and jumped in to help when the decking broke