London - A marriage is supposed to be for better or for worse.
And one couple found a unique way of fulfilling this vow when they rifled through 30 tons of rubbish together in search of their lost wedding rings.
The anonymous pair were renovating their home in Melbourne, Australia, and drove to a dump to drop off their refuse.
But they were mortified after realising on the way home that they had somehow thrown the bands – including a diamond engagement ring – away as well. To make matters worse, the site was closed by the time they got back.
They returned at 4am the next day and found some sympathetic employees who were willing to help with the search.
Incredibly, they managed to retrieve the rings after rooting through mounds of other people’s rubbish. They had been placed inside a jewellery box – presumably for safe-keeping while the home renovations were under way.
Officials at Stonnington council, which runs the dump, said it was "Christmas magic" and a fairytale outcome.
A spokesperson said: "Our guys went way above and beyond, and we are pleased to have saved some memories and what we understand was highly valuable stuff both financially and sentimentally."
He added: "We do stress we do not offer a service whereby we can readily empty the transfer stations looking for things people think they may have tossed out."
But he cautioned that it was an unusual case, and said the council cannot "readily empty the transfer stations looking for things people think they may have tossed out."