Bride’s Heartwarming Gesture: She Stops to Show Her Wedding Dress to Her Beloved Dog.

The bridal detour to give her dog a glimpse of her wedding dress, as reported by the wedding photographer, is charming the online audience.

Reddit user Jeff Beck (u/JephriB) posted a heartwarming photo on the “Made Me Smile” forum, capturing a moment from a wedding he had recently photographed. The image features the bride, Sarah Wilkinson, donning her wedding attire and crouching on the ground beside her goldendoodle, Walter.

Wilkinson was keen on having at least one snapshot of her dog with her in her wedding dress, which led the duo to drive for 10 minutes to the dog sitter’s place. “I was determined not to miss that moment,” shared Beck, 37, with Newsweek. “It was incredibly sweet of her to want her dog to witness her dress.”

Bride Sarah Wilkinson wanted to stop and get a wedding snap with her dog Walter.JEFF BECK PHOTOGRAPHY/@JBECKPHOTOS

The photograph of the bride and her dog went viral in no time, garnering over 16,000 upvotes.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” shared Wilkinson, 42, with Newsweek. “The photographer knew where we were headed, and he was all in. He’s the best photographer ever.”

A recent survey conducted by Amazon Handmade revealed that nearly two-thirds of people wished to involve their dogs in their weddings. In the survey of 2,000 dog owners, 60 percent reported knowing someone who had included their furry friend in their wedding party, with ring bearers (50 percent), flower girls (17 percent), and page boys (13 percent) being the most popular roles.

According to Wilkinson, she adopted Walter, the 6-year-old goldendoodle, in June 2020, and he has since become her loyal “adventure buddy.”

The bride met Neil Wilkinson, 45, through mutual friends in September 2022. Following a brief courtship, the couple tied the knot two weeks ago at the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah.

Following the ceremony, when the guests were headed to the reception, Wilkinson realized she wanted a picture with her beloved pooch. “My friend Nicole was taking care of Walter,” she explained. “She’s the owner of Walter’s best friend, Sully. Since I rented my dress and had it for a limited time, I knew I had to act fast.”

Goldendoodle Walter was thrilled to see his human arrive, giving her a kiss.JEFF BECK PHOTOGRAPHY/@JBECKPHOTOS

Wilkinson later clarified that her intention wasn’t solely to show Walter her wedding dress, as he “doesn’t really pay attention to what I’m wearing.”

“I could see how the conversation with the photographer might have caused confusion,” she added.

Regardless of the wedding dress, Walter was overjoyed to see his owner. As Wilkinson bent down to greet him, he gave her a “big grin” and a kiss.

“He rarely gives kisses, it’s just not his thing,” she remarked. “It caught me completely off guard and brought tears to my eyes.”

As a wildlife and landscape photographer, Beck has captured three wedding ceremonies, including the Wilkinson wedding. He expressed his desire to do more photo shoots with brides and their furry friends, saying, “I hope this won’t be the last bride and dog photo shoot I do.”

The photograph touched the hearts of Reddit users, with mcs_987654321 commenting, “What a fantastic shot!”

DreadPirateLink agreed, saying, “It was worth every penny they paid you. It’s a beautiful memory they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.”

melbo15 wrote, “Genuine happiness radiates from this image,” while LaylaBird65 expressed, “I’m crying like a baby. What’s wrong with me?!?!”

While midget22xp dubbed the photo: “The most heartwarming picture I’ve seen today.”