Were the guests talking about her stunning dress, how beautiful she looked? Absolutely not! Everyone was talking about the same thing—the big St. Bernard, Sam. Throughout the service, the dog stood beside the couple – almost as if a dog whisperer / wrangler was standing nearby. Sam was cute, adorable, and comedic, all at the right moments. He certainly hammed it up in the direction of the guests.
During the ceremony, the plan was, I would ‘ask Sam’ for the rings from around his furry neck. He was the ring bearer after all. All went perfectly and since I had been tipped off ahead of time, I cleverly had a few juicy liver treats tucked discreetly inside my service text book. That was a first!
Sam really did steal the show. What was it that W.C. Fields said? Never share the stage with a dog or a child? He really knew what he was talking about! But the wedding couple truly did not mind as they had a deep common love of dogs. They both have had a few St Bernard’s in their lives, collectively. Sam, in their view, was an important member of their closest family circle and needed to be close at hand during their warm and truly distinct wedding service. Later, there were lots of chuckles about Sam. You guessed it .There were a flurry of funny jokes during the toasts that all ended with many doggie ‘punch lines’. – Nevertheless, a great time was had by all, at this delightful and unique wedding that went intentionally, ‘to the dogs’.