Couple ditches floral bouquets for rescue puppies in adorable wedding ceremony
Puppies stole hearts in a Florida wedding between two animal lovers raising awareness for rescue dogs.
Andee, 32, and Tina Krasinski, 33, tied the knot on November 11 in Plant City, Florida incorporating a litter of blue-and brown-eyed puppies from Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue in Bradenton. Both are passionate about animals, with Andee a general manager at Bayside Pet Resort and Tina a long-time adopter of basset hounds, labradors, and doxins.
The couple got engaged after meeting at a Florida restaurant where they both worked, in December 2017. While wedding planning, Andee read about a dog-themed ceremony detailed on the animal website The Dodo, and having spent years working with animal hoarders, she loved the concept.
Together, the couple shares a Bichon named Mr. Boog Dinkleton, a pit-bull named Chase Marshall, and two cats named Donut and Waffle.
Andee and Tina reached out to local rescues and Nate’s responded. “It was serendipitous,” Andee tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “They said, ‘We’ve been waiting for someone to do this.’” Fortunately, the rescue had just taken in 10 puppies, pit bull mixes, from Georgia — one for each member of the bridal party — and at five weeks old, they were perfectly suited for a wedding.
“We considered using senior dogs but it would have been tough to find ones small enough and well-behaved,” Andee tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The universe was on our side.”
Tina and Andee asked each bridesmaid to carry one puppy down the aisle — “pupquets” instead of floral bouquets — each wearing a collar with lace, ribbons, and wooden flowers. “I didn’t want the dogs to get sick if they ate flowers,” explains Andee, adding that her bouquet and Tina’s boutonniere were also wooden.
As flower girl, their 3-year-old daughter Carter and Mr. Boog Dinkleton rode down the aisle in a wagon. And during cocktail hour, the puppies played in a pen and interacted with guests. The ceremony, photographed by Cami Zi Photography, was flawless, except when one puppy peed on a bridesmaid’s hand. But it was no big deal — in fact, Tina and Andee have adopted the dog whom they plan to name Swift after Taylor Swift.
On Saturday, the newlyweds left for their honeymoon, a seven-day cruise to Haiti, San Juan, and Saint Martin.
“All we wanted to do was raise money for dog shelters,” Andee tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “But we’re so blessed and appreciative that our effort could reach so many people.”
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