A couple who had to postpone their wedding twice, have celebrated their perfect day with a very special guest in their midst.
Amy Black, 31, and Brian Close, 40, finally said their vows on the third attempt after Covid closed in on their plans.
And right beside them was Maddie, their six-year-old Cocker Spaniel.
Their flame haired pet was the star of the day, complete in velvet and a floral collar and appearing in endless photos - literally smiling for the camera.
Amy said: “After all the stress, postponements, number changes and worries about getting down the aisle, we are now Mr and Mrs Close and Maddie Close.
“There was no way we could have our big day without Maddie there, she has been with us from the start of our relationship and she’s family.
“No one would ask us to leave a child at home, and to us she’s just as important to us.”
Maddie, a working Cocker, was groomed and clipped before her appearance at the Larchfield Estate, just outside Lisburn, Co Antrim before the wedding between Amy and business development manager Brian.
Now living in Newtownards, Co Down, Amy, a communications specialist, said the wedding venue made having Maddie on site straightforward and fun.
She explained: “We wanted to find a venue where Maddie would be welcomed and be treated as a guest. Larchfield seemed the perfect choice for us and when we said we wanted our dog to be present on the day they only had one rule.
"Because the estate has farm animals in the area they asked us to keep Maddie on a lead which we were fine about.
She's very well behaved even for a busy working Cocker Spaniel and she seemed to understand her behaviour was important on the day. She was calm and happy throughout.
“We had a velour lead and collar made to match Brian’s tie and then the florist made a floral dressing for the collar so Maddie really looked the part.
“And when we got our photos back this week it was really good fun to go through them all and see the day replayed.
“We really laughed when we realised Maddie looks like she was actually posing and smiling for the photos.
“She certainly knew it was a special day. The lady who normally looks after her in her home if Brian and I are away, made sure Maddie was safe all day and got her to the photoshoot and all the fun. Then later on while we partied, Maddie went on home to relax and take off her fancy outfit.
“For dog lovers like Brian and I, having her there made the day extra special and everyone enjoyed her company and we really think she understood it was an important occasion for us all.
"We had 50 guests and Maddie at the heart of it all. Sadly the only person missing from our big day was Brian's late father Seamus Close and he was very much missed. Having Maddie with us was a comfort and a distraction.
"We’d encourage wedding venues to try to accommodate dog families like ours. People say dogs are like family, we say dogs are family and Maddie is our special girl.”
