Instead of a traditional bouquet, this bride carried her dog down the aisle

In recent years, proud dog owners have incorporated their precious pooches into their weddings as special guests, flower dogs, and even ring bearers.

For her own nuptials, bride Joelle Yuvienco came up with a new role for her beloved Pomeranian pup Sago: the wedding bouquet.

Instead of the traditional flower arrangement, Yuvienco carried Sago, dressed in a festive bumblebee costume, down the aisle during her April wedding.

The furry wedding attendant was a complete surprise to everyone — including the groom.

Videos and photos of Sago's special moment in the spotlight quickly gained traction, with one video garnering over 1 million views on TikTok.

Amid the influx of attention, Yuvienco, a content creator and voice actor, wants to address a common concern once and for all.

“To be clear, no, we did not have a bouquet toss,” Yuvienco says.

There's a reason Sago sports a bumblebee costume in the video. Yuvienco and her husband Lenard Santos met through Bumble — not once, but twice.

The couple matched in 2019, but didn't end up pursuing a relationship at the time.

“He still says I ghosted him,” Yuvienco says.

They matched yet again on Bumble in 2021 during the pandemic, and this time, the couple couldn't stop chatting.

Yuvienco and Santos both live in Quezon City in the Philippines.

Now, Santos is officially a “step-pawrent” to Sago.

Sago, whose name means “boba” in Tagalog, has been Yuvienco's loyal companion for almost ten years.

“Everyone who’s met me knows Sago,” Yuvienco says. “She’s been with me through all kinds of ups and downs.”

Like many of their friends, the couple decided to host two weddings in order to blend their unique tastes with tradition.

Their first wedding was a traditional church ceremony in December 2023, followed by a more modern, garden-themed celebration in Tagaytay the following April.

“The wedding industry is very over the top here,” Yuvienco explains. “We really wanted to build something that felt most ‘us.’”

Yuvienco also collaborated with Bumble on some of her wedding details, including themed drinks and a photobooth, as a tribute to the couple's meet-cute.

Ahead of the couple's April wedding, their wedding designer presented them with a special gift: a drawing of Sago in a bumblebee costume.

After seeing how cute Sago looked in the drawing, Yuvienco ordered a custom bumblebee costume for her pup to wear on the big day.

Minutes before she headed down the aisle, Yuvienco realized that she hadn't ordered a flower bouquet for the second ceremony. Instead, she scooped up Sago and made her way to the altar.

Santos had anticipated that Sago would take part in the wedding, but was surprised — and delighted — to see Yuvienco walking down the aisle with Sago in her arms.

Guests were also shocked to see that the bouquet was furry rather than floral.

“They were in awe and and also laughing because it's so cute, but also funny at the same time,” Santos says.

The couple hadn't intended to make Sago part of their reception, but their guests couldn't get enough of the costumed canine. Ultimately, Sago stuck around throughout the party.

“She's in all of the photos,” Yuvienco laughs.

Though Yuvienco is frequently in the spotlight herself as a radio and podcast host, she was happy to let Sago shine on her special day.

“I’ve gone on news outlets to talk about all different things in my life, but I’m most proud to talk about Sago,” she says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com