Jill and Rob Aldredge are joined by their border collie, Carson, at their July 2007 wedding ceremony in Tipp City, Ohio. The Aldredges are part of what some wedding experts say is a growing trend of couples who incorporate pets - especially dogs - into their wedding ceremonies.

Flower

Jill Aldredge dreamed of when she could be with Carson on her wedding day.

“It was love at first sight – I think for both of us,” Aldredge said.

In July, her magical dream came true. It didn’t matter that Carson was only 9 and once lived on the streets of Myrtle Beach, S.C. The day was perfect.

Carson isn’t Aldredge’s groom. She’s a border collie mix.

Aldredge and her husband, Rob, are part of what some wedding experts say is a growing trend of couples who incorporate pets – especially dogs – into their wedding ceremonies.

It’s a way for them to show their pet, as well as their families and friends, how important their canine friends are in their lives.

“There was no question that she would play a role in our wedding,” Aldredge said. “She’s been a major part of my life the last seven or eight years, and I couldn’t imagine a day without her – especially my wedding day.”

Ring-bearer dog

Aldredge is the former Jill Richardson, a 1996 graduate of Lawrence High School who also graduated from Kansas University. Her parents, Mike Richardson and Janice Richardson, still live in Lawrence.

She and her husband both are graduate students at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. They were married July 29 at the Willowtree Inn in Tipp City, in Rob’s home state of Ohio.

“It is a beautiful place, and Rob and I loved it the second we saw it,” Aldredge said. “But we wouldn’t sign a contract unless they let us have Carson in the ceremony.”

Carson’s official role was ring bearer.

“We let her roam during the ceremony, and as Rob and I were saying our vows, she wandered in to the reception tent where the food was,” Aldredge said. “We stopped the ceremony and asked Rob’s friend to go get her, which he did, as we continued reciting our vows.

“The next thing we knew, Carson came sprinting into the ceremony site and jumped in between the two of us with her wild-eyed, excited dance. She then sat in the middle of us looking at us the rest of the ceremony. She did it all on her own with no coaxing from anyone. We both know she knew something special was happening. We honestly couldn’t have scripted it better.”

‘Flower dog’

Ryan and Jill Flessing of Lawrence had a similar experience with their dog, B’Elanna (a 6-year-old chow/border collie mix named after a “Star Trek” character).

“I’ve had her since she was a little puppy,” Jill Flessing said. “I lived alone for six years – it was just her and me. She’s a big part of her life. She’s our baby.”

Officially on the program, B’Elanna was listed as a flower dog.

“I did my own flowers,” said Flessing, whose maiden name was Troupe. “I used to be a florist. She just wore a little rose wreath like a collar.”

The couple’s wedding was Dec. 15 at Danforth Chapel.

“We had put Ryan’s nephew, who is 11, in charge of B’Elanna,” Flessing said. “He had a hold of her collar, and she was whimpering. We said, ‘Can we pause things for a second?’ And we said, ‘B’Elanna, it’s OK.’ We let her run around, and it was no big deal. She came up and sniffed around Ryan and I.”

Her family’s reaction?

“My grandmother doesn’t like dogs,” Flessing said. “She probably thought it was weird, but she didn’t say anything.”

Jill is a clinical social worker in Oskaloosa. Ryan is a pharmacy tech in Lawrence.

Now that the wedding is over, Jill Flessing said her biggest worry is competing with B’Elanna for Ryan’s attention.

“It’s disgusting,” she said. “She really loves him.”