A bride and groom in Florida decided to get married in the presence of friends, family and their five rescue beagles.

There was a time when weddings adhered to a strict set of traditions. The bride wore white, there was a garter toss, and she made sure to have something old, something new and something blue on her big day.

But weddings have changed, and many would say for the better. These days, weddings are increasingly personalized affairs, as happy couples try to infuse proceedings with their own interests and personalities.

For some, including beloved pets in their wedding proceedings is one way to showcase their values. In a survey of 2,000 dog owners conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Amazon Handmade, almost two-thirds of respondents said they would involve their dogs in their weddings.

With so many pet owners eager to have their dogs at their weddings, companies now offer assistance in how to do so. FairyTail Pet Care is one such firm, and it recently shared footage from a wedding where the couple took the inclusion of dogs to another level.

From the moment Bethany and Matthew began planning their wedding at the Casa Marina Hotel on Jacksonville Beach in Florida, the bride was determined to involve their five rescue beagles.

“One of the bride’s biggest passions in life is rescuing animals from terrible circumstances,” Ilana Karcinski and Kelly Nova, the co-founders of FairyTail Pet Care, told Newsweek.

Newsweek has contacted Bethany for comment via email.

“Two of the dogs, Harold and Loki, were rescued from an animal experimentation lab in South Korea. Bethany rescued them from a not-for-profit organization called Beagle Freedom Project out of L.A. Charlie was hit by a car as a stray and was rescued from Miami,” FairyTail Pet Care said.

Those three rescues were joined by Harper and Leena on Bethany and Matthew’s big day. The happy couple had a sixth beagle, Hunter, but he died before the wedding took place.

“Hunter was a rescue from the side of the road and was Bethany’s first love who introduced her to the beagle breed,” FairyTail Pet Care said. Hunter died from cancer prior to the wedding, but Bethany still found a way to include him.

“When the bride first got his diagnosis and realized he may not make it to the wedding, she put pet-safe ink on his paws and had him walk down their aisle runner so that he would still be included and ‘with them’ as they walked down the aisle,” FairyTail Pet Care said.

“She also had a signature cocktail at their bar named after Hunter. The cocktail napkins also said ‘Drinks on me! love, Hunter,'” the company continued.

The dogs were included in many ways on the day itself, such as during the ceremony and in the official photos of the happy couple.

“All five of them walked down the aisle during the ceremony, and Harold (the eldest dog) stayed up with them for the duration of the ceremony then walked back down the aisle with them when it ended,” FairyTail Pet Care said.

Custom beagle cookies were served at dinner, and the wedding cake featured models of all five rescue beagles. The dogs even got a chance to mingle with guests during cocktail hour.

“Harold stayed longer to be included in their first dance,” FairyTail Pet Care said. “We then took them all back to their rental home so they could eat their well-deserved dinner and relax.”

The dogs’ presence proved to be the icing on the cake for Bethany. In a video posted on FairyTail Pet Care’s Instagram account, she can be heard telling the company: “Thank you so much. I could truly just not have anything else, but having them here means the world to me.”

Original Source: Newsweek