Planning an outdoor wedding is a beautiful dream for many couples. However, Katie Stokes, a 25-year-old bride, recently shared a post on TikTok that highlighted how nature can crash the party when she discovered she was covered in 92 ant bites on her big day. Per PEOPLE, Katie and her now-husband, Chase Stokes, were prepared for the usual suspects associated with an outdoor ceremony in South Georgia. Still, they were mostly focused on keeping gnats at bay. Katie shared that they stocked up on bug spray, and she was even doused in a specific no-gnat spray before the ceremony. She mentioned that “ants didn’t even cross my mind until it was happening.” It seems that the weather might have played a major role in the chaos, as it rained for about an hour earlier in the afternoon. Katie is pretty sure that the rain is what brought the ants out of the ground, as there were no signs of ants earlier in the day. Katie recalls that she was standing outside the car her coordinator was using to drive them around while waiting for their grand entrance into the reception. When she felt the bites, she looked down and realized “they were all over my dress!” She was literally standing in the middle of them and said she “felt a ton of them biting my feet.” She lifted her dress to check and saw that hundreds of ants had managed to crawl into every single layer of her gown. Katie admitted she “froze” The outlet reported that Chase quickly jumped into action and told her to sit in the back seat of the car so he could help her remove her shoes. He started brushing as many of the insects off her legs as he could, and her wedding coordinator joined in to help once she saw what was happening. Katie says, “They both were knocking the ants out of my dress while I was lying down, rolling in the back of the car.” She told PEOPLE that the ordeal was a team effort, as her husband and the wedding coordinator were also left covered in the ants while trying to clear them away. The grand entrance was held until she was back on her feet, and the coordinator’s husband even came over to spray the area to make sure the coast was clear. The coordinator then brought her own personal cortisone cream to their private dinner, which Katie called a “lifesaver.” Images by @katierstokes / TikTok This serves as a good reminder of why preparation is so critical for outdoor events. As noted in an outdoor wedding guide by The Altar Insider, nature is inherently unpredictable, and planning for it is about gracefully dancing with the elements rather than fearing them. The guide suggests that for serious bug issues, couples should consider having the venue or a professional service spray the area 24-48 hours before the event. It also recommends creating stylish bug-off baskets with repellent wipes or sprays for guests to use throughout the event. Despite the surprise, Katie maintains that the wedding was the best day of their lives. She noted to PEOPLE that she knew there were things out of her control, like the rain and the ants, but she chose to focus on the love and happiness of the moment. Bride Finds ‘Hundreds’ of Ants ‘Crawling into Every Layer’ of Her Dress During Outdoor Wedding (Exclusive) https://t.co/PkfNQ0MfKB— People (@people) June 28, 2026 She mentioned, “I would not have changed one thing about the day.” She says, “Our day was perfect, and I would take the ant bites all over again if it meant getting to marry Chase.” Katie and Chase reportedly have a long history, having known each other since preschool and dating through high school. They even navigated the challenges of long-distance while she was in dental school at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University. After the wedding, while on her honeymoon, Katie actually counted the bites while sitting on a float in the ocean. She was shocked by the final count of 92, which inspired her to make her now viral post on TikTok. As the post picked up traction, she found that many others had similar stories to share, even if others focused on the risks of an outdoor wedding. A lot of weddings come with their share of drama, as one Redditor shared recently, when they were relegated to the back of the room despite setting the couple up. Despite that, most couples remember the day as being perfect. One groom was so happy to be with the woman he loved that he didn’t even notice the officiant’s faux pas till he noticed that his wife was upset, and saw the wedding photos.