Bride-to-be refuses entitled sister's request to have her golden retriever be the ring bearer at her wedding: ‘[She] said I was being controlling and that I “hate fun"’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
May 7, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Brides are often wrongly stereotyped for having outlandish requests and taste in terms of style and wedding planning. There's nothing wrong with wanting your special day exactly how you like it, especially if it prevents you from kickstarting a nest egg for your future baby, because it's that expensive. Just because a bride wants her wedding to be child-free or canine-free doesn't mean she is taking things too far—she's simply setting boundaries to ensure her day goes as planned without surprise factors slipping through the cracks and dismantling the whole thing!

Family might try to sway a bride into giving them the OK for an extra guest they don't know personally, a kid who can't find a nanny that day, or something as extreme as someone's dog being the ring bearer. Luckily, this bride stands firm and refuses to appease her dog mom sister, who insists that her golden retriever be the one who delivers the rings to the altar. Yeah, no…

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  • Listen… You all know we love dogs here. This is a safe place for dog parents to gush about the fact that their dogs attended their fairytale weddings… but that's exactly the thing. It's YOUR wedding, not your sibling's. A sibling assuming they're entitled to make them and their dog the star of the show is, at the very least, something to scold them about… 

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  • "AITHA For not letting my sis dog be the ring bearer at my wedding?"

    So, my (27F) fiancé (29M) and I are getting married in September. We're planning a small, semi- formal outdoor ceremony at a
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  • historic garden venue. It's really beautiful and we're keeping it pretty traditional—nothing too over-the-top, just classy and simple.
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  • Enter my sister (31F), who is OBSESSED with her dog, a golden retriever named Waffles. She treats him like her child, which, fine, whatever. But a few
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  • weeks ago she told me she wants Waffles to be the ring bearer at my wedding. Like, dressed in a tiny tux, walking down the aisle with the rings tied to his back.
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  • I laughed at first and said I didn't think the venue even allowed pets. She got very serious and said she already checked-they do, as long as the dog is leashed
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  • and supervised. I told her no, it just doesn't fit the vibe we're going for, and I didn't want a dog in our ceremony, even a well- behaved one.
    via MeaningfulGoddess
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    via Daniel Horvath For Unsplash+

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  • She flipped out and said I was being controlling and that I "hate fun." She even posted some passive-aggressive stuff on Instagram about how some
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  • people "don't understand the bond between a girl and her dog." My mom is on her side and says it's "just one little thing" and I should compromise because it's important to her.
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  • But it's my wedding and I just want it to be simple and human- only. AITA?
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  • Shadow4summer Absolutely NTA. Okay, these wedding asks are getting more outlandish by the day. Tell your sister no. And if she can't accept that, she can stay home with her dog. Tell mom if she doesn't like it, she can stay home as well.
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  • Tamika_Olivia Tell your mother that you have no desire or obligation to compromise here. It's your wedding, and the only person you need to compromise with is the person you're marrying. Everyone, from Waffles on down, gets to fall in line with your wishes in this regard. No compromises on the no pet rule.
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  • Sparklingwine23 NTA the bride should control her own wedding and not include dogs. Your sister can have a dog ring bearer at her wedding.
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  • Queen_Periwinkle Nta. It's your wedding, not hers. If you want it pet free, then do it. If it was a service dog, maybe, as a guest.. But it's not even your dog, so why would it be in your wedding? Let alone in your wedding party? Tell sis that if she wants her dog to be a ring bearer so bad, she should get married, then she can do whatever and have whoever she wants in and at her wedding.
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  • False-Spend1589 I also am completely obsessed with my dog, even have a tattoo of her level obsessed. With that being said, NTA. It's your wedding, and she has no right to make demands about it. It's weird she already checked the wedding venues rules without even asking if you'd be interested. Waffles can be the ring bearer at her OWN wedding.
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  • foxtrot_delta_tango_ Remind your sister whose wedding it is. No, you're NTA. Your sister is acting like an out of control entitled dog nutter and she needs her bulls reined in. Getting mad at you and saying awful sh about you because you won't let her make demands about YOUR wedding is a childish and thing to do. She's just trying to emotionally manipulate you.
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  • Striking-Estate-4800 NTA The venue policy is for dogs to be leashed, correct? Sounds like your sister may have Main Character Syndrome and wants to get some attention by parading down the aisle with her dog. Wonder how "well behaved" the dog would be that day.
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  • Zealousideal_Fail946 She will use the dog to steal the show. You should find a reason during this kerfuffle to take her out of anything attached to your wedding as well. Make her just a guest.
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  • Wild Ticket1413 What is it with people wanting to bring their dogs to someone else's wedding? I see that on here all the time. Of course, NTA. The only time it's appropriate to bring a dog to a wedding is if it's a legitimate service dog. Your sister can be apart from her dog for a few hours.
    via Wild_Ticket1413

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Wedding Themes aita bride marriage entitlement wedding party wedding planning wedding drama bridesmaids wedding entitled planning reddit thread Reddit weddings entitled people
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