Rat Falls from the Ceiling in the Middle of Bride and Groom's Elegant Wedding Ceremony: See the Video (Exclusive)

"I could hear something moving in the planters above us..." the bride recalls to PEOPLE

CongRATulations are in order for one bride and groom.

Tamara Alsawaf and Joshua Valli got married on Nov. 21 in Escondido, California. But their dreamy garden wedding ceremony was interrupted by an unexpected guest after a rat suddenly fell from the ferns above them.

The groom was tearfully sharing heartfelt vows to his bride at the altar in front of 145 wedding guests when the incident happened. "Today, surrounded by all of our loved ones…" Valli began when a rat suddenly dropped onto the grass. Even the rodent's bounce was captured on video.

"YOU CAN HEAR IT SQUEAK! 🐭," someone on TikTok commented, with another person writing, "The way I would see this as the universe telling me to run."

"My husband was saying the sweetest vows and shedding some tears. I could hear something moving in the planters above us but thought it was birds until all of a sudden the rat fell," Alsawaf exclusively tells PEOPLE.

She continues, "I initially thought it was a squirrel until I noticed the tail. When it ran away it went behind the groomsmen and I could see it climbing up a tree branch right beside them."

Luckily, the rat didn't ruin the ceremony.

"That honestly might have been perfect timing," Valli said, which caused wedding guests to burst into laughter. He then continued his vows.

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"Everyone was cracking up and also stunned as it was very unexpected," Alsawaf says. "Later, throughout our vows, we could hear movement in the planters above us again, and branches were falling on my dress and veil, and my bridesmaids kept stepping away."

But the couple — who got engaged eight months ago on Saint Patrick's Day in San Diego exactly a year after they met at an Irish pub — weren't the only ones to continue hearing movements from the greenery.

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"I did hear from some guests later that they also looked up and saw some above them and could hear movement in the planters," the bride continued. "I think overall everyone was just glad it didn’t fall on anyone or run into the crowd. It's already a funny story."

During the reception, the groom's best man even mentioned the rat drop in his speech, saying that the newlyweds' love is so strong that it even causes rats to fall from the sky.

Commenters on TikTok also looked at the bright side of the situation, pointing out that rats symbolize wealth in some cultures, and could mean financial blessing for their marriage.