After the flamingos hired us to do their wedding, word must have gotten around. Now we were approached by this wonderful canine duo who wanted a small but special wedding for family and a few close friends.
Rusty and Samantha met at doggie day care. Even though Sam is an older woman (by a year), Rusty was instantly smitten. And how could he resist those big brown eyes and soft golden hair?!
Obviously it was love at first sight! Rusty came home that night and informed his mom Ashley that he’d met “the one”! He couldn’t stop dancing around the room and wagging his tail!
From that day on, Rusty and Sam were inseparable. He taught her to play ball; she taught him the correct way to bond with cats without getting his nose scratched! He taught her how to swim (even though she was a bit scared of the pool at first, he gradually coaxed her down the steps and into the water). They even went to one of the local parks and went down the slide! The result – two Golden Retrievers who could swim together, play ball in the pool, and go on all kinds of adventures!
They had a lot of fun dates together, and one of their favorites, of course, was going out for ice cream together. They had no trouble sharing the same bowl, and didn’t argue about who had more! And since Ashley paid for it, that was even better! 
It wasn’t long before Rusty made the decision that he just had to propose to his lady love; he just didn’t know when to do it, or how she’d react! He thought about a Christmas engagement, but decided Valentine’s Day was much more appropriate.
So he planned the perfect evening. With the help of his mom, he selected a gorgeous ring, and even bought flowers and special Valentine treats for them to enjoy. He was a bit nervous, but when Sam’s mom dropped her off at Rusty’s house, he KNEW as soon as he saw her it would be a perfect evening! And it was!
But yes, he was more nervous as the time grew closer to “pop the question”! What if she said no? What if she didn’t like the ring? What if he dropped it and couldn’t find it? Poor Rusty….he was really starting to get to be a mess.
But then he remembered his mom had told him everything would be fine, after all, when Chris had proposed to her, he was a bit nervous, and even dropped the ring, but everything had turned out great. So why should he worry!?
Arf, arf……
But after dinner he got his nerve up, put the ring on his nose like he’d planned, and, well, the rest is history….of course she said yes! And she proudly wore the ring, and showed it off every chance she got!
Of course, planning a wedding for two golden retrievers was, well interesting, to say the least, because they really had their own ideas of what they wanted. Rusty and Sam’s moms suggested a double wedding for when Rusty’s mom Ashley and her fiancé Chris got married, but that idea was quickly vetoed. They wanted their own day! And who can blame them?
They wanted something simple but pretty. The other dogs from day care as their wedding guests. And of course, their doggie parents and grandparents and Rusty’s favorite vet!
They selected the friends they wanted to be in the wedding, and chose their flowers, but then…where to hold the ceremony? It had to be just right. Something that reflected their personalities!
Well, where else but beside Rusty’s pool in his mommy’s back yard! Complete with rubber ducks, of course! Then they could always jump in and take a swim during the reception if they felt like it! Needless to say, the swimming wasn’t an idea that Rusty’s grandparents were overjoyed about, but anyway…..they wanted everyone to be happy!
So the big day arrived. It was beautiful and warm and sunny. A perfect day around the pool for a wedding. All of their friends couldn’t wait! They were so excited!
The wedding party was perfect. The best man and groomsman were perfectly dressed in their bow ties, and the ring dog, well, he performed his duties impeccably! He didn’t even drop the rings!
The maid of honor and bridesmaids and flower dog…well, what can we say…
However, as always, the bride and groom were absolutely beautiful… can you say that about the groom? Well, let’s make that handsome! Although Sam did make him change his tie after the ceremony. And lose the hat!
And of course, no wedding is complete without the perfect wedding cake. And this one certainly suited Rusty and Sam perfectly!
It was an absolutely perfect day, and after the reception, and a send off of bubbles, Rusty and Sam drove away for a romantic honeymoon in the Outer Barks.
Their photographer also presented them with a lovely photo album of their special day!
And after all the fun and festivities, well, a lot of their friends got ideas of weddings as well that day! And we got to plan their weddings, too!
NOTE: Even though not all of these pictures are actually Rusty and Sam themselves, Rusty and Sam are actually a real doggie couple who are totally devoted to each other and are really sort of engaged! And you know how we just adore love stories….
Photo Sources: 1st Row: chickensmoothie.com – 2nd Row: personal files – 3rd Row: personal files – 4th Row: sweetspotbakes.com; source unknown – 5th Row: theknot.com; elizabethandjane.ca- 6th Row: personal files – Amanda Hedgepeth Photography – 7th Row: source unknown – 8th Row: personal files – 9th Row: source unknown; animalsinbowties.com; source unknown; quoteco.com; source unknown; source unknown – 10th Row: via pinterest; via pinterest; via pinterest; threegreenleavesphotography; via pinterest; source unknown; source unknown – 11th Row: seabreezebeachresort.com –12th Row: thecleverlittlecupcakecompany – 13th Row: source unknown – 14th Row: createdbyfig.com – 15th Row: chaseandsnap.com; mypethaven.com; trendhunter.com; nandinagoldens.com; source unknown; abbyadealblue.com; kellyprizel.com