It's safe to say that you probably never been to a wedding like this. While some couples celebrate their big day by releasing doves, this groom just one-upped everyone by having a penguin as his ring bearer.
He surprised his bride on their big day by having the penguin walk down the aisle. Sadly, most of us can't have penguins at our own weddings. Fortunately, the couple also filmed the big moment for everyone to see, and it was really, really cute. The penguin was the life of the party as they say.
"We had a surprise ring bearer for my penguin-loving wife at our wedding ceremony," wrote groom Joey Keilty on his TikTok. An electrician, Keilty hired a show penguin to show up on their big day. His wife had no clue what was about to walk around the corner. The penguin's name is Widget, and it proved to be a great talking point. Keilty's wife loves the bird.
"Kerrilea's favorite animals are penguins and so to lead up to the wedding I took her to Chester Zoo to feed the penguins for Valentine's Day," Keilty told WirralGlobe. "It gave me the idea to research penguins at weddings to see if it was possible to surprise her." However, he may have been the start of a new trend as other couples are seeking out birds for their weddings as well.
The Penguin Was A Hit
Micele Losee, owner of nonprofit International Raptor and Falconry Center in Flagstaff, Ariz., told WSJ that newly weds are even seeking out raptor and falcons for their weddings. "But really [the couples and their wedding guests are] leaving with a whole lot more knowledge about what they can do with a raptor," said Losee.
Bird or no bird, the day was perfect for the couple. The groom made it that much more special, and it's safe to say that everyone will also be talking about their wedding for years to come.
"Everyone's reactions were amazing, especially from our daughters and nieces," he gushed. "Kerrilea thought it was really cute...She had tears in her eyes. It was really cool and something you don't expect at a wedding so I just thought even though it's expensive it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Everyone will talk about it in the future — the wedding where they got to cuddle a penguin. The day was absolutely perfect but just having the penguins made it that little more special."
