28-year-old bride sparks backlash after asking bridesmaid not to bring service dog to wedding: 'We don't want it in photos or in the ceremony'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 7, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Since dogs are allowed almost everywhere public these days, there are bound to be people who are sick of seeing furry friends pop up in places they just shouldn't be. For example, please stop bringing your pet dog to the grocery store on a busy weekend day. There is no need for that! I don't care if you're just buying one ingredient that you forgot. You're bringing an animal into a place where we all buy our food! What if your sweet puppy starts licking the lettuce, or raises its leg on a display case of sweets, or even worse, gets into a confrontation with a person or another dog? 

Have you ever been in a diner and heard panting coming from under a nearby table, only to look and see someone's Golden Retriever sitting there drooling? These dogs look bored when their owners bring them everywhere. I suppose it's nice that they're included, but a lot of the other patrons at these establishments do not want to see dog hair floating through the air, or have to worry about dogs being underfoot while they're trying to navigate a store. 

That's led some people to lump service dogs in with regular dogs, though, and service dogs should always be allowed. These are highly trained animals that provide critical medical services to their owners, and they're being unfairly blamed for the actions of regular pet dogs. Just ask this woman, who's unsure about a tough decision she has to make regarding her bridesmaid's request to bring a service dog right up to the altar with her! Should she make an exception for a service dog who helps with PTSD? Should she ask that the bridesmaid step down? Is there any room for compromise? I hope this woman posts an update about what she ends up doing, and if Fido makes it to her big day, sitting front and center with the bridesmaids, or if this wedding will be strictly "no dogs allowed." 

Next up, read about what happened when this person tried to introduce their ChatGPT boyfriend "Asher" to their family: "My family was aghast… I'm thinking about cutting off contact." 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Golden retriever wears a green "service dog" vest, in background is bride with two bridesmaids in purple on each side of her
    via Andy Luo on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    'Am I the A*sh*le? [I] do not want a service dog to participate in my wedding'

    I'm (28F) am getting married in the spring. I've asked one of my best friends to be one of my bridesmaids. She has a service dog for PTSD. I respect her dog and glad
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 03
    she has it in her life. My Fiance and I don't particularly care for dogs, and we've decided we don't want her service dog in our photos or in the ceremony.
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 04
    When I asked her she got excited and immediately said her dog could wear something to match. the rest of the bridesmaids. Thats when I explained that the dog could
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 05
    come to the wedding, but wouldn't be an active participant in the day. We don't want it in photos or in the ceremony. It could go to photos, but not be in them.
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 06
    It'll be off to the side for the 10-15 minute ceremony. In preliminary discussions with our photographer we've brought this up.
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 07
    She did not take it well. Called me an ahle and ableist and it was not a constructive conversation after the ask. She hasn't accepted my offer to be a bridesmaid, but
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 08
    also hasn't declined formally. AITA?
    via u/Plenty_Tap9799
  • 09
    hjo1210 I'm probably going to get down voted to h I but - I have a service dog, I was also MOH in my Bff's wedding, my service dog was sat in the front row with her
    via u/hjo1210
  • 10
    family during the ceremony and wasn't included in the formal pictures. It wasn't a constant thing, it was 15 minutes here and 5 minutes there. I could still see my dog and she could see me, she
    via u/hjo1210
  • 11
    still alerted just fine when I was feeling overwhelmed. It's not a huge ask to not have the dog be part of the ceremony. Keep the dog in the front row and off to the side during formal picks.
    via u/hjo1210
  • 12
    Bride needs to decide if she's willing to take the chance that there will be a meltdown because her PTSD may be triggered, friend needs to decide the same.
    via u/hjo1210
  • 13
    theflipping... NTA, you said you're okay with your friend having the dog at the wedding, just did not want the dog to be an active participant in the
    via u/theflippingbear
  • 14
    wedding ceremony and photos. I feel like everyone voting yta, did not read the post fully and assumed the bride does not want the bridesmaid to bring the
    via u/theflippingbear
  • 15
    dog AT ALL. And that is clearly not true. The bride says the dog at the wedding, to the side is fine. But to be an active participant in the wedding ceremony and the photos is not.
    via u/theflippingbear
  • 16
    The bride doesn't want the dog on the photo, so why does she need to have photos with the dog to placate her friend? It's not her friend's wedding and it's not the friend who
    via u/theflippingbear
  • 17
    is paying for the photos either.
    via u/theflippingbear
  • 18
    mvmgems So many commenters lack reading comprehension. You didn't say that the service dog couldn't be present to do its job,
    via u/mvmgems
  • 19
    Bride in center with two bridesmaids on each side of her wearing pale lavender dresses
    via Javier González Fotógrafo on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 20
    just that you didn't want it to be an active participant in the ceremony or in the photos. NTA
    via u/mvmgems
  • 21
    YTA - if it was a wheelchair, would you tell her she couldn't use it? ETA - She answers the question below.
    via u/ExhaustedNightowl

    Replying to another person's lengthy comment, this person clarified her feelings about wheelchairs versus service dogs. She wrote that she hadn't put a lot of thought into it, but that she doesn't view the two needs as equivalent, since one is medical equipment, while the dogs is "something my fiance doesn't like and I don't care for."

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

marriage bridesmaids service dog service dogs wedding bridesmaid
Scroll Down For The Next Article