Home Moral Stories Woman assumes service dog takes priority over wedding, but receives reality check.

Woman assumes service dog takes priority over wedding, but receives reality check.

Image for illustrative purpose only. (© freepik / Freepik)

Every bride and groom should have the wedding of their dreams. For some, that could imply a lovely setting or the ideal gown. However, these niceties are pointless if the couple does not enjoy their wonderful day to its maximum.

A groom recently turned to Reddit to explain how his efforts to safeguard his soon-to-be wife’s comfort resulted in some severe family strife.

The difficulty occurred because his sister had a service dog, but his future spouse is allergic to dogs. The outcome was not favorable for all parties concerned.

The 32-year-old groom explained that he asked his sister to leave her service dog at home since his 30-year-old fiancée Gemma is allergic. He submitted the following information: “I (32M) am getting married to my long-term girlfriend Gemma (30F) at the end of November.”

Image for illustrative purpose only. (© freepik / Freepik)

He went further: “Gemma and I are having a small wedding with only close family and friends invited mainly because we don’t want it to be an inconvenience to others and choosing a venue is really hard due to Gemma’s allergy.”

Gemma is not only allergic to dogs, but she is also scared of them as a result of a horrific occurrence in her childhood, during which she discovered her allergy. Her allergy is not life-threatening, but it does cause severe discomfort. “Even when taking anti-allergies, her face would get significantly swollen, have red marks all over it that are visible even with heavy makeup, and she would constantly sneeze,” the doctor wrote. During the lockdown, face masks alleviated her symptoms, but she can’t always wear them indoors since people believe she’s sick.

Image for illustrative purpose only. (© freepik / Freepik)

Kate, the groom’s sister, is diabetic and relies on Lenny, her service dog. “I absolutely adore him and Gemma is not scared of him either,” he told me. However, due of Gemma’s serious allergies, he requested that Kate not bring Lenny to the wedding. “I believe my future wife should be able to enjoy her day without swelling, which would be difficult to avoid given the venue’s tiny size and privacy. Gemma reacts even if there is a dog in the same supermarket and it does not touch her.”

The groom described how he brought up the problem with Kate while delivering gifts for her. Kate reminded him that Lenny is a service animal, and it was inappropriate to ask her to leave him behind. “I told her that he is still a dog, and that being a service animal does not magically eliminate my wife’s allergies, which she was aware of from the beginning. I’m not asking her not to bring him to any family gatherings, just not our wedding.”

Image for illustrative purpose only. (© freepik / Freepik)

This request led to a significant fallout. “My sister and my mom both called me an a*****e and are not talking to me. They have threatened not to come to the wedding, which I said is fine as I value my wife’s comfort more,” he concluded.

Someone else added: “I feel for your sister but your future wife has a right to have a wedding and photos without having ‘allergic hive face’!!! For this one time allergies trump service dog.”