A bride has delighted the internet with the novel way she made sure her miniature Australian shepherd was still a part of the big day, and it's inspired many others to try it out for themselves.
Danielle Strahan tied the knot in July 2024, and while her dog Levi couldn't be in attendance, she made sure he was still there in a humorous way. Rather than having simple numbers on each of the tables at the reception, Strahan used framed pictures of Levi holding up a number instead.
When she first came up with the idea, Strahan, of Long Island, New York, was going to edit the numbers onto pictures of Levi she already had. But if she was going to do it, she wanted to do it right, and she told Newsweek that they had "several photo shoots" in the month prior to the wedding to get all the shots.
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Not wanting to disappoint his audience, Levi happily put on a different pose for each photo. The framed images range from him lying on his back expecting belly rubs, smiling at the camera, looking very demure, and even holding his toys.
"At first, he was a little skeptical of the sign, but once he realized it got him treats, he started getting excited when the sign came out," Strahan said.
"I think it's so funny that you can see the process getting better as the numbers go on. Number 1 was a struggle but that's why I love it, and then by the end, Levi was posing and most numbers we got in one take."
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Indeed, Levi is a pro at posing for the camera, so taking the actual photos didn't take too long. Although, the most time-consuming part was erasing the number from the chalkboard and drawing the next one onto it each time.
But it wasn't just the table numbers that incorporated Levi into his owners' special day, as they also got a small figurine of him for their cake topper.
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"Guests thought the numbers were hilarious, but everyone was equally shocked that Levi allowed this to happen. If you know Levi, like all Aussies, he has a lot of energy and doesn't stay still for very long. Once guests realized the photos were all different, they walked around the reception to see what pictures other tables had," Strahan continued.
How Did Social Media React?
Strahan shared a video of all the table numbers on TikTok (@danielle_strahan), joking that it was "the only wedding décor that mattered." Internet users can't get enough of the novel idea, and the clip went viral with over 399,600 views and more than 36,600 likes on TikTok in one week.
After attracting so much attention online, the idea has even inspired other couples to do this at their own weddings.
"I'm so excited that other brides are commenting that they want to do the same for their wedding," Strahan told Newsweek.
"I just thought it would be so funny to have Levi in all different poses to make each table number a little unique. I loved doing it with him, and he had fun too as he got lots of treats and attention."
With 160 comments on the viral TikTok post already, many people hailed the genius idea, and there was also plenty of praise for Levi's modeling skills.
One comment reads: "I get married in eight days and you literally have me rethinking everything."
Another TikToker wrote: "It's magnificent."
"I don't even want to get married and I 100 percent just would for this," joked another social media commenter.
While one person added: "Levi is a star."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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