From Shy to Shine: Juno’s Sweet Wedding Day at Whistle Bear Golf Club
Juno on standby at her pawrents wedding at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge. Photography Credit The Awans
Well this is loooong overdue haha it feels so good to be back here, writing again! I’ve missed sharing these behind-the-scenes moments from wedding days that still make my heart melt. To kick things off, I’m taking us back to March 2025 for a beautiful, winter-meets-hint of spring wedding at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, one of the elegant Pearle Weddings venues. F+M tied the knot surrounded by soft white details, beautifully lit in the Grandview Room, and their blue merle Cockapoo, Juno, who had her very own starring role in the ceremony!
From the start, I knew Juno’s parents were prepared. They’re the kind of responsible, devoted dog owners who’ve put in the time and lots of training, excellent manners, and a deep understanding of their girl’s pawsonality. Juno is a bit on the reserved side, with just the right amount of mischief ;) She knows she’s adorable (and isn’t afraid to work it for treats). Since she can be introverted, I built a custom wedding dog timeline that gave her time to breathe, a extra buffer for travel (because, hello, March in Ontario can be unpredictable), some pre-ceremony exploring to get comfortable at the venue, and even a private solo photo session before guests arrived. The result? Absolute sweet magic, captured beautifully by The Awans. A big thank you to The Awans for bringing calm energy into the space for Juno and allowing her the time she needed to engage with them. She was so incredibly curious to see what they were up to and initially wasn’t too sure about all of their cool gear but in time she became besties with them :)
For her big wedding role, Juno walked down the aisle off-leash…yes, you read that right! Because the ceremony was indoors and fully enclosed, it was a safe and perfectly controlled setup. Once the officiant summoned her, the doors opened, and she trotted into the space initially a smidge confused seeing so many people collectively melting at how adorable she is followed by instant eyes locked on her moms and then trotting down the aisle to smother them in kisses as they attempted to get the rings off her happy wiggly self. That moment is exactly why I always build space into every pup’s timeline. Dogs, just like humans, need transitions, breaks, and time to get comfortable. It’s one of the many reasons we never rush through wedding days at Black Dog Weddings - we create space for joy to unfold naturally.
Coming from a healthcare background, I was taught to keep relationships professional - friendly but never personal. I initially carried that mindset into weddings, thinking I’d always keep a little distance. However after working with F+M, and Juno, I realized some connections are too genuine to keep at arm’s length. These three reminded me that sometimes, friendship is the most beautiful outcome of doing work you love.
