A bride who was forced to walk down the aisle with a black eye after she was accidentally struck by a baseball days before her wedding has been praised online.
Sophia Oosterhof, 18, had to spend the run-up to her wedding icing her eye to try and control the swelling instead of preparing for the most “blessed” day of her life.
Her determination to have a great wedding regardless of the unfortunate incident has resonated with millions online – with a series of clips going viral with over 5.2 million views.
Sophia and now-husband Luke Oosterhof, 22, had joined a group of friends for a game of baseball three days before the ceremony when the bride was struck in the left eye by a baseball that bounced off the ground.
“I always imagined myself at my absolute best for my wedding day,” the Canadian told NeedToKnow.Online.
“I had been working all summer on clearing up my acne prone skin and to get the perfect tan.
“But straight after I was hit the words that jokingly came from my mouth as I dropped to my knees were ‘I’m gonna need a c**p ton of makeup for that.
“Everyone in the whole park stopped and waited in silence and disbelief.
“I was in pure shock. There is no way this is happening to me, not now.
“I felt nothing at first but then I saw deep red blood and couldn’t help but laugh.”
Sophia was rushed to hospital and thankfully didn’t need stitches, but was instructed to rest – putting all last-minute wedding preparations on hold.
Over the next couple of days her eye swelled to the size of a tennis ball but miraculously eased just in time for the big day.
She said: “Surprisingly enough it [resting] was actually very nice.
“I had planned on doing so many things but this accident allowed me to relax, thanks to my amazing friends and family that took care of me so well.
“By the day of the wedding the swelling had gone down so much and the make-up artist did an amazing job that the only sign of the accident was some blood shot in my eye on the one side.
“It took a black eye on my wedding day to realise that my looks should not be the focus on a day where much bigger things are happening than just looking good.”
The wedding went ahead on 2 September last year.
Sophia said: “The wedding day went smoothly, it was incredibly fun but there were a few moments in the day when my eye felt sore but I still felt beautiful and had one of the most memorable and amazing days of my life.”
Sophia’s wedding photographer and cousin, Heidi Prins, who runs Violet Light Photography, uploaded a video of the shots she managed to get despite Sophia’s shiner.
Social media users have come out in droves to support the bride.
One person wrote: “Well done!! Attitude is everything and the photos look stunning.”
Someone else said: “Good for her I would’ve canceled the whole thing postponed until further notice absolutely not.” [sic]
Another user added: “She’s such a good sport for that.”
Sophia added: “Marriage is one of the best blessings I’ve ever received in life.
“A wedding is not primarily about the outward appearances but about marrying your best friend.
“I think getting a massive black eye right before my wedding day really humbled me and put my focus back on the deeper values of our wedding day.”
