Senior Dog Spends 'His Last Good Day' at Owners' Wedding Ceremony: 'The Ultimate Gift' (Exclusive)
"Having him sit centered between us as we were married felt so symbolic of his role in our life, and offered us a sense of peace and safety as we embarked on this new chapter together," the bride, Brittany Cartie, tells PEOPLE
Gulliver died 10 months later at 13.5 years oldA senior dog spent "his last good day" making his owners' wedding ceremony extra special.
Before they were officially dating in January 2012, a then-18-year-old Brittany Cartie and then-19-year-old Tyler Fedoris adopted a 9-week-old miniature silky wire-haired dachshund, whom they named Gulliver. More than a decade later on Aug. 11, 2024, Gulliver inserted himself in Cartie and Fedoris' backyard wedding ceremony in a way that they would cherish forever.
"It is our favorite memory of our wedding day and our time with Gulliver," Cartie tells PEOPLE.
Cartie and Fedoris, now 32 and 33, respectively, were "heavily influenced" to tie the knot at their home in New York so that their three dogs could "share the day" with them. Their ceremony was "very simple and intimate," with only the officiant, photographer, bride's brother and the dogs present.
After their three pups greeted them, the couple expected them to disperse around the backyard. The pair's youngest pets — 5-year-old Phineas, a beagle and Cocker Spaniel mix, and 1-year-old Franklin, a chihuahua and dachshund mix — left while Gulliver stayed. The senior dog then plopped himself right between Cartie and Fedoris and lovingly looked up at them.
"We never expected him to take such a symbolic seat," Cartie says. "Tyler and I exchanged a glance after realizing he was right there at our feet, looking up at us with pride, and tears instantly filled both of our eyes."
She continues, "Having him sit centered between us as we were married felt so symbolic of his role in our life, and offered us a sense of peace and safety as we embarked on this new chapter together. In that moment, I felt like we were unifying what was already true: that the three of us together made up a home, and as long as we had each other, we'd never have to face anything alone."
As Cartie and Fedoris began exchanging their "I dos," Gulliver walked forward and took a seat to face them so that he could watch them seal their union with a kiss, which Cartie thought "really felt intentional" and "so funny."
Gulliver remained close to the couple afterward at the reception, where they were joined by about 30 guests.
Ten months later, Cartie posted wedding footage of Gulliver on TikTok, sharing in her caption that "it was really his last good day." In the months that followed the wedding, Gulliver's health progressively declined, and he died at 13.5 years old on June 16.
"It was truly the hardest day of our life," Cartie admits. "[Gulliver] had a special way of making you feel so safe and loved, and he was very tuned in to each of our emotions. My sister also said to me once that he was so strong for so long because he wanted nothing more than to be with us forever. When we said goodbye to him, we thanked him for all the love he poured into us and let him know that we were going to be okay and he could rest now."
Cartie and Fedoris "fell in love with Gulliver first and then each other."
Gulliver came into their lives as "a bit of a happy accident." At the time, the two were still "figuring out what the future looked like." Fedoris was on a holiday break from basic training for the U.S. Army Reserve, while Cartie was about to enter her second semester at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
The duo popped into a pet store in Vestal, New York, after seeing a movie together next door. They merely wanted to "swoon over the cute puppies before heading home," but once they saw Gulliver they "felt so strongly that he was meant to be in [their] lives forever," even though "the circumstances were certainly not ideal to adopt a puppy."
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"Gulliver was curled up behind some other rowdy puppies, trying to sleep," Cartie remembers. "He was the only puppy we couldn't get a clear look at, and something was telling us to wait until we could. A cart full of barking puppies rolled in and startled him awake. The moment he lifted his head up, he looked right into our eyes and we were instantly struck with an overwhelming sense of familiarity and home."
After Cartie and Fedoris met Gulliver, "the bond was instant."
"He was so playful, curious and full of life," Cartie recalls. "He climbed into our laps and looked up at us like we'd known each other before."
The next day, Fedoris returned to his Army base. Knowing Fedoris wanted Gulliver as much as she did, Cartie followed her heart and picked up the puppy.
"Since Tyler was in basic training, we could only communicate via letters, so I taped Gulliver's little paper collar to a picture of him and sent it off," Cartie says. "Tyler's response letter is one of my favorites to look back on, as I don't think he expected everything to actually work out. He wrote in all caps, 'YOU GOT HIM?! YOU ACTUALLY GOT HIM? WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, GULLIVER!!!' "
Cartie and Fedoris credit Gulliver as the "glue" in their relationship.
"We truly believe Gulliver was the glue that held everything together during those early coming-of-age years, and I credit him for helping us build the life and love we've now shared for nearly 14 years," Cartie shares. "He made us a family."
Unlike other dogs who enjoy "normal dog stuff" like wrestling or chasing squirrels, Gulliver was "soulful" and only ever wanted to be with his owners.
"He followed us everywhere, and absolutely adored being held and snuggled," Cartie says.
"Gulliver was at the center of all our best memories and milestones: falling in love, graduating college, adopting new pets, getting engaged, buying a house, and finally getting married," she adds. "Every story includes some quip or mention of Gulliver. Our bond with him was unlike any other we've experienced, person or animal. He looked at us like he'd known us in a past life, like we were all reunited somehow and he was just soaking up every second of our time together."
Although Cartie and Fedoris will always grieve Gulliver, their wedding day memories with him bring them "great comfort."
"He gave us the ultimate wedding gift and a lifetime of love to reflect on," Cartie says. "We've found ourselves repeatedly revisiting photos and videos from that day, and we also have the privilege of revisiting the physical site in our backyard whenever we need a moment of quiet remembrance."
Recently, the couple planted a memorial hydrangea bush in Gulliver's honor in their backyard.
"When the blooms first appear in June, we can reflect on our last days with him," Cartie explains. "When they age to pink in August, we can reflect on our wedding day. And then finally when the blooming season is coming to a close, it will be time to honor his October birthday."
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