The course of real love never ever did run smooth, said the bard Billy Shakespeare.
And so on the day of David Song and Marisa Savic’s eventually fantastic wedding event, gray clouds were threatening rain on their outside Bok Bar place, 2 of the groomsmen ran late, and over in the reception staging location, the wedding event organizer needed to spring into Plan B: The iceman did not cometh.
But one part of this nuptial was unfaltering: Mr. Ewok.
Best pooch and ring dog, the couple’s scruffy-but-stoic little terrier was on time and looking fine in his navy and lime doggy tux, PetSmart coiffure, with valuable wedding event band freight in tow.
“He’s doing a great job,” said Myles Ragin.
Ragin would understand.
He’s the Philly half of Bow Wow Weddings, a service that will do whatever it requires to have your canine become part of your big day. Chauffeur, personal attendant, over night minder. You name it, the Bow Wow men have your dog covered.
Ragin, 28, cofounded the business in December 2021 with Don Valentine, 27, a Pittsburgh pal who had actually been a fellow accounting significant at Robert Morris University. By the time they were upperclassmen, the pals recognized — a bit late, given — that possibly they didn’t wish to crunch numbers for the rest of their lives. So they informed each other if the right business concept occurred, they’d do it together.
A couple of years earlier, Valentine was thinking of proposing to his then-girlfriend, so he began having a look at wedding event groups online. People kept complaining — they desired their dogs at their wedding events however had nobody to help them.
“Somebody was trying to coerce their Uber driver to do it,” Ragin said. “Donnie said, ‘Maybe we can do this.’”
In completion, Valentine’s own wedding event didn’t take place, however the Bow Wow Weddings concept had legs — and a tail.
The males still have their accounting jobs, however they’ve been hectic on weekends, on the western and eastern sides of the state, plus New Jersey, Delaware, and, in time they hope, New York.
Ragin and Valentine, both dog fans, customize their services to whatever couples require — photo help, consisting of dressing dogs and wrangling them for the cam; event help, like aisle accompanying or minding them at the reception, and family pet sitting the night prior to or after the wedding event.
They have a number of bundles, varying from the Chihuahua (over night family pet sitting, plus picture, event, and reception help) to the Great Dane for location wedding events. Their minimum charge is $350, and bundles range from $599 to $1,299.
No one has actually asked yet, however they’d even load a bag and assist on the honeymoon.
As with any job, there are difficulties. Like Gracie the pit bull who wouldn’t opt for a crown however accepted a tutu. Or the poor panting pug at a beach wedding event. Ragin now constantly loads a portable fan on warm days, and the Bow Wow men make it an indicate get familiarized with their canine customers and their peculiarities prior to the special day.
The gig has great deals of benefits.
Barry and Jessica Garozzo of Bala Cynwyd actually desired Porterhouse, their mini dachshund, to be in their wedding event pictures, handled the plaza exterior Philadelphia City Hall. But, they most likely couldn’t have actually done it without a service like Bow Wow Weddings.
“A lot of people want their dogs involved, but I don’t think they realize, as a bride and groom, how busy you’re going to be and how much work your day is,” Barry said.
Sometimes, having a dog around modifications the sensation of the day.
That’s how it was with Pepper, Miranda and James Gorman’s Samoyed. As flower dog, it was difficult to see the blooms under all her long, white fluff, however the Northern Liberties pooch was the belle of the ball. And nobody was better to have her there than Miranda and James.
“It’s such a big occasion,” Miranda said. “You want them there for the pictures, to stand by your side as you’re up there. We’re not like crazy dog people, but she’s very much a part of our family.”
Marisa Savic says she most likely never ever would have gone out with that intriguing person she saw online if she had actually recognized he resided in Jersey. But she didn’t understand. So she fulfilled her individual, Dave Song.
And she never ever cared much for dogs — too active. But then she fulfilled Dave’s Mr. Ewok.
“I’m not a dog person, but I’m completely head over heels for him,” said Marisa, 32, a psychiatric nurse-practitioner.
Dave, 39, a Deptford local who operates in financing, embraced Mr. Ewok from a rescue a couple of months prior to he fulfilled Marisa. He’d been searching for a dog for a while when the 6-year-old border terrier’s picture showed up. He appeared like an Ewok. For Dave, a huge Star Wars fan, he was ideal. The rescue let him bring home the dog May 4, the main vacation for Star Wars fans (May the Fourth Be With You.) It was fate.
When they chose to get wed, Dave and Marisa understood they desired Mr. Ewok there.
On the early morning of their May 13 wedding event, Ragin got Mr. Ewok from the home of among the couple’s pals. His black Mobile Dog Gear knapsack was filled with snacks, water, Ewok’s clothing, and whatever other requires the day may bring.
For the next couple of hours, Ragin accompanied the dog to picture shoots, providing Ewok support and requiring the wedding event celebration and some visitors with some mobile phone snaps. When the afternoon began getting a little clammy, he took out the portable hand fan.
And then it was showtime.
Ragin handed off Mr. Ewok to his bridal celebration partner, Eliana Zimmerman. As the wedding event music played, dog and 14 human attendants continued throughout the Bok roof.
In an extremely charming event, the bride-to-be and groom both sobbed and chuckled, and Mr. Ewok got his own reference by the wedding event officiant. As the couple exchanged promises, the little dog looked their method intently.
When it was over, Ragin chose him up and took him to a doggy friend’s house for his own celebration, simply as mixed drink hour will begin. Newlywed Dave Song said he was so delighted Mr. Ewok had actually existed:
“We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
