It was an animal lover’s dream wedding.
A clever bride decided to change up and forego of the traditional bridesmaids’ flower bouquets. Instead of flowers, Sally Burky chose to incorporate one of her passions and had her girls bring adoptable shelter dogs down the aisle instead. It was more her style anyway.
At first, the couple thought of having their dogs walk down the aisle with the entourage. In the end, Sally and her husband decided to showcase shelter dogs instead. Showing off the charming dogs to her guests could be the ticket in getting them adopted.
They reached out to Haven of the Ozarks Animal Sanctuary in Missouri for help with this vision. The director of the sanctuary obliged the bride’s request and agreed to help them pick out the most suitable dogs for the occasion. They needed to choose the dogs that wouldn’t go crazy in a strange environment, especially when surrounded by people and other animals.
Each bridesmaid walked down the aisle, one arm linked to a groomsman while the other held a leash with a beautiful dog in tow. The entire wedding party grinned happily at the sight of the sweet and well-mannered rescue dogs, completing what Sally envisioned. As a bonus, the couple dedicated their dollar dance, a tradition where guests pay to dance with the newlywed couple, to the Haven of the Ozarks.
A week later, practically all of the dogs that were part of Sally’s wedding finally found their forever homes. Many of those who saw the wedding entourage became interested in the idea of adopting, which was the whole point of the venture after all. The couple’s decision to include shelter dogs in their wedding was successful.
It was Sally’s fervent hope that this can be the start of a new tradition. Highlighting these lovable dogs goes a long way in developing an awareness of saving these homeless animals.
Photos courtesy of The Honey & Bee Photography via Facebook
