Well, that’s one way to p-p-p-perk up your wedding.
Waddling down the aisle, a pair of Humboldt penguins made a surprise entrance on Adam and Tracy Winterton’s big day.
In addition to the two penguins which accompanied Tracy, 32, and Adam, 34, at their nuptials, they had a third in reserve in case the endangered birds got ‘stressed’.
Fortunately the wedding venue Sandhole Oak Barn, in Congleton, Cheshire, had a lake so the penguins ‘could have wandered off for a swim if they wanted to’, on the day.
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The wedding party - which also included nine bridesmaids, a flower girl and page boy, seven ushers, a retriever, spaniel and Spinone Italiano dog – rehearsed the ceremony before the main event with 100 guests took place last month.
A friend of the 32-year-old bride, who is the penguins’ owner, coaxed the pair of Humboldts up the aisle with a bucket of dead fish before Mrs Winterton made her entrance.
According to Mrs Winterton, a business owner, the penguins’ welfare was considered at all times, but that they preferred to follow guests ‘having their heads cuddled and stomachs stroked’.
She claimed the birds had come from the friend’s private zoo, had been bred in captivity and would have been euthanised had they not been taken in.
After the ceremony, the wedding party paused for photos with several dogs just feet away from one of the penguins.
Mrs Winterton, said: ‘My friend, Emma, owns a private zoo and trains animals for TV work. These penguins were bred in captivity in another zoo which closed. They were going to euthanise the penguins so my friend rescued them.
‘There were three penguins but only two walked down the aisle before me because they did not want to put pressure on all of them.
‘A rehearsal was done before to make sure they were happy.
‘The two penguins walked down the aisle before me, following a friend who was carrying a bucket of fish and out of a side door.
‘There was a lake at the venue, so they could have wandered off for a swim if they wanted to but they didn’t.
‘I know a lot of people see it as controversial but , for me, it is a private zoo, The animals have complete choice, they have carers, they have their enclosure.
‘They are bred in captivity. It is different from animals which have been rescued from the wild. They don’t know any different and they quite like human contact.
‘If they didn’t do the outings like my wedding, the penguins would be stuck in an enclosure all the time. They’d be in a public zoo stuck with people staring through the screen at them.’
Friends of the couple, gushed that the ‘little helpers’ had made a glamorous addition to the day with one noting ‘I have never seen this before’.
But animal campaigners Peta condemned the ‘foolhardy stunt’, adding that it ‘forced the penguins to endure the stress of being hauled around’.
Elisa Allen, director of Peta UK, said: ‘Using wildlife as a tacky photo prop ruins the happy occasion for at least one living being present.
‘It’s cruel and unthinking to place wild animals – including this Humboldt penguin, who belongs in the cold water and on the rocky islands off the coast of South America – in a frightening and wholly unsuitable environment such as a wedding venue.
‘Forcing penguins to endure the stress of being hauled around and then let loose in an unfamiliar environment – with hordes of strangers, flash photography, and loud music – can only leave these sensitive animals petrified.
‘It’s also foolhardy, since penguins can transmit numerous diseases, including campylobacter, worms, and bacterial infections – hardly the kinds of wedding favour that guests want to take home with them.
‘Couples who care about animals can make a lasting difference by asking wedding guests to make a donation, in lieu of a gift, in their honour to a wildlife sanctuary or even to their local animal-rescue centre.’
The wedding took place on 18 February.
A spokesman for Sandhole Oak Barn said: ‘The penguins were very happy around humans, they appeared to be very relaxed and were following the guests.
‘They wanted to interact with the guests and they had a good day out.’
The owner of the penguins did not respond to attempts for comment.
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