Bride and Groom Surprise Wedding Guests with Rings Under Seats and Random Ring Bearer (Exclusive)
Laine and Robert Parland tied the knot on April 6 in South Carolina
Laine Parland stood at the altar beside her now-husband Robert Parland on April 6, ready to exchange rings, when a unique twist unfolded.
The Hartsville, S.C. native, who tied the knot with Robert in Downtown Columbia, S.C., turned to her 115 guests and instructed them to look under their seats. The couple's rings had been placed under a random chair, and whoever found them would be their ring bearer.
"We wanted to do it as a fun and unique way to involve our guests," Laine tells PEOPLE exclusively in an interview.
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Laine explains how she stumbled upon the idea of having a random ring bearer only two weeks before her wedding. After discovering the concept on TikTok, she shared it with her wedding planner Sarah Christopher.
"Without skipping a beat, she responded and said we were doing that," recalls Laine, 26, of their conversation.
Leading up to the wedding, Laine says Christopher was the only person who knew what would happen when it came time for the couple to present their rings. They decided the ring box would be discreetly placed in the ceremony space, which had no assigned seats or sides.
A friend of Robert's, Arnold John, discovered the box under his chair. "He was surprised, but it was the talk of all of our guests and what a fun idea it was," Laine says.
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Jacy Harrelson, the couple's wedding content creator, captured the special moment on video and posted it on TikTok, where it has garnered 1.4 million views. Harrelson tells PEOPLE exclusively that right before the moment, Christopher told her where the ring would be so she could capture it on camera.
"Everyone looked under their chairs until it was found," Harrelson says. "It was honestly so funny and exciting to see everyone’s reaction when this young man held up the pink ring box. We all cheered and clapped when he handed the rings to the preacher."
"I have worked several weddings and had not heard of this idea, but I will be sharing this experience with my future brides!" the content creator adds.
Reflecting on the decision, Laine expresses satisfaction with how the random ring bearer turned out, noting that she would "100% do it again."
"I think more couples should add nontraditional elements to their weddings to create a fun twist for their guests," she adds.
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