When Emily Cowles pictured marrying her fiancé, Josh, she imagined a summery outdoor celebration by the water, surrounded by their closest loved ones. But of everyone on the guest list, there was one attendee she couldn’t imagine saying “I do” without:
her beloved dog, Swayze.
Swayze first came into Emily’s life in 2021, shortly after she moved to Denver, Colorado. Emily leaned on Swayze for comfort in the wake of her father’s passing, and the two quickly formed an unbreakable bond. A few months later, Emily met Josh, turning the duo into an inseparable trio.
When the couple became engaged a few years later, Emily couldn’t picture their wedding day without Swazye. And she had a feeling all of her guests would love to see him, too.
“He is goofy, comforting, so sweet, and some joke he’s just a person in a dog costume because he always seems to understand what you’re saying,” Emily told The Dodo.
At first, the couple planned a small role for Swayze during their ceremony by having him walk down the aisle. They even created a signature cocktail in his honor called the Swayze Spritz and featured his picture on the menu card.
But as thoughtful as those details were, Emily and Josh still wanted to make Swayze an even bigger part of their day.
Then, one day, Emily came across a video of a dog wearing a GoPro harness, and inspiration struck.
“[W]hen we were wedding planning, I was like, ‘This HAS to happen,’” Emily said.
Emily brought the idea to her wedding videographer, Sabastian, who couldn’t have been happier to help. On the big day, just as cocktail hour began, Sabastian attached the GoPro to Swayze’s harness and sent him into the crowd of smiling faces.
The footage that ensued was enough to bring tears to Emily’s eyes the next day.
You can watch the footage here:
From Swayze’s perspective, the camera captured a carousel of faces greeting him with limitless headpats and affirmations in high-pitched voices. Some guests smiled and waved at Swayze, while others knelt down to his level and gave him a hug.
Swayze undoubtedly felt loved that day. And as they watched their pup’s footage back, Emily and Josh could feel it, too.
“It was so sweet to see his POV,” Emily said. “He caught such funny moments, some cinematic, and some that I’ll cherish forever with my grandma, who recently turned 91!”
Watch the second part of Swayze’s POV here:
In addition to the emotional reward of recording Swayze’s POV during cocktail hour, the couple feels as though his presence served a practical purpose, too.
“We knew we didn’t get to spend quality time with every guest, but Swayze made sure to say hello to everyone, and everyone made sure to say hello to Swayze,” Emily said.
Emily and Josh couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding day. And thanks to Swayze, they’ll always be able to look back on the celebration from the perspective of the beloved pup who helped make it unforgettable.
“He’s a special dog and means so much to us, so having this video of him and our favorite people will be something we cherish forever,” Emily said.
