Doug the Pug’s Parents Got Married and Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness Officiated
Though November 11 was largely a day to celebrate the union between Doug the Pug’s two human parents, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Instagram sensation essentially ended up stealing the show.
Doug, who’s amassed an impressive 3.6 million Instagram followers in his six sweet years of life, acted as the honorary ring bearer for the wedding held at Nashville’s Cheekwood Gardens & Estate. The charming pooch donned a custom tux from Swirly Queen Designs and trotted down the aisle toward his parents, Leslie Mosier and Rob Chianelli, during the ceremony, resulting in plenty of reaction from guests.
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
“Leslie and Rob’s life are their children, Doug and Fiona,” wedding planner Josiah Carr of Ninth and Everett tells The Knot. “When I was first hired to plan the wedding, they had already determined that they wanted him to have the honor of bringing the rings down the aisle. [The couple] worked with a custom harness designer, who designed Doug’s tux to have a small ring pouch attached. It was flown over from London.”
But Doug had an even bigger role in the wedding than just strutting down the aisle. The popular pooch also helped lock in one key detail from the wedding itself: the officiant.
Earlier this year, Doug popped the question to Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness via Instagram, asking the grooming guru to officiate the wedding. Van Ness agreed wholeheartedly.
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
For the day, Doug the Pug’s parents were dressed to the nines with Mosier, 26, in a lace gown from The Dress Theory and Chianelli, 31, in a custom forest-hued suit from Alton Lane.
Carr says it was rewarding to see his entire vision come to life, which included a throne for Doug, a triangular installation for the ceremony space, and a breathtakingly imaginative sweetheart table. “I dreamed as big as I could and Julie and her incredible team [from Syzygy Events] made all of my wildest custom dreams come true,” he says. “Seeing things that I sketched become tangible objects was truly an experience that I will never forget.”
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
Other details from the wedding that helped make it “feel like fall,” per Mosier and Chianelli’s request, included food by Beyond Details, flowers by Carl Denton Designs and a massive wedding cake by Frosted and Sprinkled.
“We had blankets tied with string for each guest upon arrival, which included a map of the venue and the program for the wedding,” Carr says. “We also continued the fall theme with an incredible fall menu from my favorite caterer in the city, Beyond Details, which included New Zealand lamb, harvest vegetables and stuffed squash for the vegetarian guests.”
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
Another fun, personalized element of the couple’s big day was The Candle Bar, which provided a candle-making station for guests to make their own wedding favors.
In all, Carr’s biggest piece of advice to those planning a wedding—with a pooch or not—is simple: Work with a professional. “I always tell my potential clients, ‘Whether it be me or someone else that you end up working with, please promise me that you will get a planner,’” he says. “Planning weddings is our passion. Let us help you relax and enjoy your planning process.”
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
(Credit: Victoria Bonvicini / Vic Bonvicini Photography)
Secure your ideal wedding vision by starting with The Knot’s Style Quiz, here.
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