When Tanvi Gangadhar and Sumanth Gudaparthi planned their wedding, they knew they wanted their beloved 2-year-old golden retriever, Chai, to be involved.
They made him a ring holder and even bought him his own tuxedo.
Chai is an epidemic puppy who often gets nervous around large groups of people. Knowing this, Gangadhar made sure he had his favorite tennis nearby as a source of comfort throughout the day.
What Gangadhar didn’t realize, however, was that this tennis would eventually end in her veil.
“Chai has been playing with his ball; we even stopped for a while in the middle of the vow because he dropped the ball down the stairs,” Gangadhar told The Dodo. “When the emcee announced that we were husband and wife, everyone cheered and Chai was excited and nervous, hiding under my veil and dropping the ball. That was the lovely moment.”
Of course, there is no sadness either.
“We’re happy he’s having fun, that’s all that matters,” Gangadhar said. “Our friends liked him too, so when he found the ball, the guests cheered him on.”
You can see Chai dropping the ball at his parents’ wedding here:
Years ago, Gudaparthi was skeptical about owning dogs, but now she and her husband can’t imagine life without Chai.
“We think he should be adopted by a South Indian family because he loves [dog-friendly] Tofu rice, dosa and idli the most,” Gangadhar said. “He is perfect. “
Gudaparthi and Gangadhar are determined to make sure Chai gets what he deserves – and Chai gives them a lot of love in return.
“We strive to give Chai the best life possible,” Gangadhar said. “We even moved into a big house with a backyard so he had plenty of room to run around.”
With his family who love him so much, Chai doesn’t have to worry about anything. If he was asked to attend a wedding again, he would know exactly what to do.
