Groom Turned Around to See Bride During First Look, Surprised with His Dog Instead
Quinn Meineke and his wife Madeline tied the knot on July 1
When Quinn Meineke turned around for his first look on his wedding day, what he saw wasn't quite what he expected.
Instead of his bride Madeline, the 30-year-old groom saw his dog Penny running towards him, wagging her tail. As the dachshund approached, she licked and kissed him non-stop.
“I had no idea she was going to be part of the wedding until I turned around that day,” Quinn told Today, recalling the moment from his wedding on July 1.
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Prior to the surprise, the couple had decided that having Penny at the wedding would be too difficult.
But Madeline was determined to find a way for Penny, whom the couple added to their family early on in their dating, to be a part of their special day.
“Quinn didn’t know this. I bought the dress for her and I decided to pivot and try to make it a surprise. I knew we were doing our first look outside, and I knew that wouldn’t be an issue, to have her outside," she said. "So that’s kind of how it all came to be.”
During the big moment, the couple's wedding videographer Claudia Goodwin of Claudia Goodwin Films captured Meineke's reaction.
Later, she posted it on Instagram, where it has since gone viral, garnering over 1.6 million views.
"As a dog momma myself, I have a soft spot for weddings that include their pups," Goodwin captioned the post. "Madeline was incredibly excited to surprise her groom with their dog, Penny, during what should have been their bride and groom first look. Just wait until you see how Penny reacts to seeing her dad!"
Speaking to Today, Goodwin, who launched her business last year, added how nervous Quinn was leading up to that moment when he thought he was going to see his future wife.
"I mean, he thought he was about to see his bride, and you know, he was all giddy. And just like, you could see, he was kind of like fidgeting. And it was a big moment."
"So you can see, when he turned around his eyes are up, like he was searching, 'Like, what?' " she explained. "And then when he saw Penny, I mean, he just went back to his normal, incredible self as a dog dad, and you just saw the way Penny loved him."
"Instantly we were like, 'Okay, he must be a totally awesome guy, if this is how his dog reacts to seeing him,' " she added. "From that point on, I mean, truly he was just so happy. I feel like the nerves just went away."
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