Man brings tuxedo-wearing llama to sister’s wedding, delights everyone but the bride

An Ohio man’s sister had a big probllama with her brother’s plus-one.

Mendl Weinstock told his sister, Riva Weinstock, that he’d bring a tuxedo-clad llama to her wedding as payment for being so “annoyed by her constant wedding daydreaming.”

The 21-year-old student did just that, much to the delight of everyone but the bride.

Despite its fancy dress, Riva was not at all happy to see the furry creature standing beside her brother.

A photo of her reaction and stunned face was captured perfectly in time and has made the rounds on the internet. It’s certainly a moment many siblings can relate to, with or without the llama.

The story behind the llama plus-one began while they were both on a road trip from their Ohio home to Indiana with a group of friends.

“She was talking about her wedding, planning it, making plans almost as if it was going to happen the next day even though she wasn’t dating anybody at the time,” Mendl told CNN.

“I said, ‘If you make me come to this wedding, I’m going to bring a llama with me,'” Mendl recalled. “It was just the first thing that popped into my head.”

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Thinking it was just a joke, she agreed to let him bring the llama. Five years later, she got engaged, and her brother remembered.

“When my brother puts his mind to something, he gets it done. So at some point, I had to accept it and decide that it was easier to get in on the joke than to fight it,” Riva said.

The animal was rented for US$400 from a Cleveland farm, and a custom tuxedo was fitted perfectly to the farm animal.

It was worth every penny, Mendl said.

“It was so worth it. I mean it was worth it just to see her reaction, but it’s been more worth it now that I’ve gotten all this internet fame,” Mendl said.

Though Shockey the Llama stayed outside for the ceremony, two of his inflatable brethren had a seat at the table.

“I’ve definitely started planning my revenge,” Riva joked. “He should sleep with one eye open.”

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meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca