Bride who dislikes dogs lets bridesmaid with PTSD bring service animal — but her strange photo rule enrages everyone
Weddings are meant to be joyful celebrations, but sometimes the planning process brings unexpected challenges. A bride-to-be shared one such dilemma online, drawing mixed reactions. As per reports, a Reddit user posting under the handle u/Plenty_Tap9799 shared her story, asking whether she was wrong for having a strict photo policy involving her bridesmaid’s service dog.
The 28-year-old explained that one of her bridesmaids has PTSD and relies on a service dog. While she respects the dog’s role, she and her fiancé "don’t particularly care for dogs" and excluded the animal from key wedding moments. “We don't want her service dog in our photos or in the ceremony,” she wrote. When she told her bridesmaid, the woman got excited and suggested dressing the dog to match the bridesmaids' group. That’s when the bride clarified that while the dog could be at the venue, it would need to stay off to the side.
The bridesmaid did not take the news well. According to the post, she accused the bride of being "ableist." She has yet to formally accept or decline being a bridesmaid. The situation gained attention online, with many debating whether the bride’s request was reasonable or exclusionary. Dr. Huyn Han from TelaVets told Newsweek that excluding a service dog often means excluding the person who depends on it. “A service dog is not a guest; it is medical equipment and a lifeline,” he said. “If they are not right there, then they can’t do their job.”
Dr. Carly Fox, a senior veterinarian at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, said service dogs don’t always have to be beside their handler but should stay close enough for immediate support. “In this instance, the dog can move out of frame shot and still be present for the owner if needed,” she said.
Users on Reddit weighed in, some firing shots, others defending. u/Ojntoast highlighted the distinction between service dogs and pets, pointing out, "A pet dog and a service dog are two very different things. That dog is working, and proximity to its person is often an integral aspect of how it's trained to perform its job." "If it were [sic] a wheelchair, would you tell her she couldn't use it?" u/ExhaustedNightowl asked. u/OatmealCookieGirl criticized the bride’s handling of the situation and wrote, "By asking her to be a bridesmaid and then demoting her because of the dog, you've ruined the experience either way. Service dogs are a package deal with their human."
Some users, however, sided with the bride’s concern over the photos. u/NoSummer1345 said, “You’re not asking her to leave the dog home. You just don’t want him/her in photographs! Your friend is being unreasonable.” Another user, u/No-good-ideas_Iowa80, defended the bride’s request, adding, “The bride just doesn’t want the dog in the pictures. Blind people and epileptics can take photos without their service dogs. I’m sure this girl can too.”