Couple Warm Hearts When They Include Their Terminally-Ill Dog In Wedding Celebrations

A couple has warmed hearts all over the globe after they decided to have their terminally ill golden retriever play center stage at their wedding. Anna and Steven Carter, from Manchester, New Hampshire, said they always knew that their pooch, Maybeline "Maybel" Joy, would play a part in their wedding. But a few months before their big day, Anna and Steven received some crushing news. Having taken Maybel to their primary vet because they noticed she kept lifting her paw, Anna then waited while the results of an X-ray on the paw came back. A specialist diagnosed Maybel with two types of terminal cancer in June 2024 – sarcomatoid mesothelioma and thyroid cancer with vascular involvement – which took away the "wedding high," Anna said. At that point, with their wedding just a few months away on September 7, Anna and Steven committed to making every part of the day as special as possible for Maybel, who Anna had adopted as a puppy from her aunt in 2013, her freshman year of nursing school. On the day itself, Maybel wore her own white tutu, which a seamstress had made from the large, puffy sleeves that Anna had opted not to include on her dress. Anna then undertook an emotional first-look shoot with her beloved 11-and-a-half-year-old pooch, who didn't leave her side for the rest of the day. These special moments – including Maybel being part of the ceremony and first dance – were captured by photographer Stephanie Berenson and videographer Jordon Johnson.