When a bear was the priest at a wedding!!!
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A Russian couple who got married recently, invited a very unusual guest to act as the priest and ring-bearer at their wedding — a giant, furry bear. Denis and Nelya, both 30, from Moscow, hired Stepan the bear to play the role of ringbearer – and he even turned up at their ceremony wearing a black bow tie.
In this picture Stephan officiating the wedding ceremony. Stepan, who turned up wearing a black bow tie and stands seven-foot tall, even posed for photos with both the bride and groom. The bear also played the role of registrar at one point and joined paws with the couple as they professed their love for each other.
In this picture Stephan pronounces the couple as husband and wife. Stepan, the bear, first found fame in May 2016, when a series of photos of the tame animal went viral. He was adopted by Russian couple Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko aged just three months after being discovered by hunters in the forest.
Stepan, who is 23 years old, is treated by the couple as their son. They eat dinner with him and snuggle up together in front of the TV at night.
The wedding photos were captured by Russian photographer Olga Barantseva.
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