A bride was planning her wedding to the man of her dreams but knew the day would not be complete if she couldn't include a very special member of their family.
Madeline was marrying Quinn Meineke and referring to her dog, Pennie who had to be a part of the festivities.
"It couldn't have been a wedding without Pennie included," the 26-year-old told "Good Morning America," referring to the couple's 2-year-old long-haired mini dachshund.
Madeline and Quinn Meinekes married April 6 at Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, but they couldn't have Pennie in their ceremony or reception. So instead, Madeline figured out another way to make sure their pint-sized pup could join in on the fun which also had to include a surprise to her beloved groom in the process.
"I thought, 'What better way to include Pennie than for Quinn to turn around during our first look, thinking that it's me ... but it's Miss Pennie?'" Madeline Meineke explained to "GMA" of the surprise.
The bride said "it was really hard to keep it a secret," but she and her videographer Claudia Goodwin and photographer Heather Dettore managed to pull off the big reveal.
The moment with Pennie, who wore a small white dress for the surprise, was filmed in a clip shared by Claudia Goodwin Films on Instagram. The video quickly went viral, getting more than 16 million views and over 1.3 million likes in two weeks.
"I had no idea whatsoever. I was fully expecting to turn around and see Madeline so that's why you can see in the video, my eyes kind of go up and then I looked down and [go], 'Is this actually Pennie? Is she here?'" Quinn Meineke, 30, recalled.
"I thought it was really special and a great surprise," the groom added. "It also calmed my nerves quite a bit, because I was fully expecting to see her and probably just break down, so it was a great nerve easer, I would say, to turn around and see Pennie."
The Meinekes said their wedding, along with the unexpected first look, all turned into the "best day ever."
Madeline Meineke encourages couples who want to include their pets in their wedding and says to just "go for it."
"Do what you want and make it something special between you and your spouse, and remember that's the whole point of your special day, and you'll remember it forever," she said.
Source: Good Morning America