When a bear was the priest at a wedding

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. The bear, which stands seven-foot tall, was very involved in the ceremony, even posing for photos with both bride and groom. At one point he even acted as the registrar and joined paws with the couple as they professed their love for each other. The wedding photos were captured by Russian photographer Olga Barantseva. Stepan the bear first found fame in May 2016, when a series of photos of the animal were published.  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.