This article is part of our BarkPost Wedding vertical, The Dogified Wedding, full of tips and tricks for creative ways to include your dog on the big day!
Zero, Holden, Navi, and Arbor are four big “babies,” but they’re also the fluffiest liaisons for a human’s wedding, ever. To be fair, it would be hard not to feel the love all the time with these sweet, sweet faces there to greet you every morning.
Shandess Griffin, the bride, really knows how to pick the perfect guy. She says:
[The dogs] are part of the reason we actually got together in the first place—Jason was the only man to approach me about my dogs and know their actual breeds. Instead of asking for a date, he asked me to go on a walk with the dogs and that obviously struck a chord. There was never a wedding in my mind without them included.
Now that’s a dog person! Luckily, the furry dinosaurs loved her now-husband Jason right off the bat. And let’s be honest, there was really no turning back at that point.
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In order of appearance as they joined the family, Zero (Samoyed) came first, followed by Holden (Bernese Mountain Dog), then Navi (Australian Shepherd mix), and finally Arbor (Bernie #2), who the couple brought home as their first dog together.
Jason even used the pack to help him propose to Shandess, all caught on a hidden camera in their home.
When in doubt, do it for the photos!
And while these gorgeous dogs never seem to have a hair out of place, the bride thought they needed a little something extra for the ceremony. A friend made them a set of four giant custom bows for that extra pop, and the gentlemen (and lady) even enjoyed a good bath ‘n blowout to improve the puff-to-pup ratio.
We approve. Check out that handsome hound!
Even though the couple envisioned a warm, sunny beach ceremony in Tofino, British Columbia, the rain got the better of them. They moved the puppy party indoors, but it sure didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits! Because, uh, who wouldn’t go to any wedding with a furry greeting committee on deck at all times.
“Yes, hello, glad you could come. Here is a kiss, pet my ears, look how happy my tail is! That dress looks wonderful on you, Barbara—you gonna finish your steak?”
Shandess says the dogs were a joy to have at the wedding, and they stayed on their best behavior the whole time. Zero and Holden (the pups that started it all) even joined the happy couple in their first dance. The bride said:
I was overjoyed and beyond happy the dogs could be there at my wedding. Long Beach Lodge was wonderful to accommodate us and we felt truly special—it is what really made our day the most memorable. The guests loved them—everyone there knew how important our dogs are to us and was not surprised in the least. The dogs are ever so social and thought the whole day was about them.
But that’s okay, because the other two joined Shandess and Jason on their honeymoon.
“My dogs are my babies,” Shandess said. “They come to work with me, they’re my life. When Jason came along, he changed everything. I was finally able to trust someone else with my dogs.”
Really, what more could you ask for?
