Dog Thinking Wedding Guests Were There 'Just for Her' Steals the Show

In any wedding ceremony, you might think that all eyes will be on the happy couple during their momentous day. But, for one bride and groom, it was their four legged flower girl who stole the show as she ran down the aisle. As the social media manager for Bethel Rock wedding venue in North Texas, Michelle Barnes has observed her fair share of ceremonies, but there are some in particular that stand out.

One of those memorable days was the wedding of Emely and Tyler on January 6, 2024, when their dog Cheerio played a pivotal role in the ceremony. Barnes, from Leonard, Texas, told that Cheerio "was so excited when she started running down the aisle and she thought everyone was there just for her." Let's hope they all played along and didn't let her catch on that .

After the groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the aisle, the guests waited with anticipation for the bride to make her grand entrance. However, what they didn't realize was that Cheerio was due to appear before the bride, with Barnes adding that she is "an important member of their family" after all.

was shared on the venue's account (@bethel_rock) on January 8. It has already been viewed more than 3.4 million times and gained over 286,000 likes in a matter of days. "Once she saw her human at the end, she booked it straight for him and the guests just loved it. She truly stole our hearts," Barnes said.

"Everybody loved it; it was a combination of cheering and laughter. "After the ceremony, she was taken back to her handler and she greeted the guests back up the aisle, just before cocktail hour," Barnes added. There may be little surprise that so many pet owners want their beloved pets to be part of their special day.

A YouGov poll in May 2022 of 1,000 U.S. adults revealed that nine in 10 people consider their pet to be part of the family. Not to mention, pets don't just have to attend as a regular old guest these days; they can . The American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests having them attend as the Pup of Honor.

You can let them to walk down the aisle with the wedding party; or make them the Flower Dog with a basket of flowers, or even the ring bearer (if you trust them enough). In any case, the AKC says owners should speak with their wedding venue regarding the dog's attendance, and let guests know in case anyone has an allergy or fear of dogs.

Cheerio's hilarious entrance to her owners' wedding has delighted millions of social media users, with the caption over the video reading: "When it's your mom and dad's wedding, but it's your time to shine." While Barnes hoped the video would generate some traction, she had no idea how much attention it would get, and she couldn't be more excited by the response.

"When we captured this beautiful moment, we immediately knew it had to be shared with the world. As a wedding venue, we love getting to be a part of people's special day, and if having their pups there makes it the best day ever, then we are all in," Barnes told . With more than 320 comments on the viral post, there was plenty of praise for Cheerio for .

One comment reads: "Puppy said hey I know all of you!" Another TikTok user wrote: "I love how she was holding her own leash while she was getting petted." A third person posted: "Time to shine? Bro, she was THE star in your wedding." Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground..