Dogs are an expected sight at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. But what about dogs in tuxedos? On Thursday, December 13, these wedding-ready pups made history. Dog owners Emma Willblad and Viorel Scinteie got married in the first ever ANC wedding with Pumik at their side.
A Match Made by Dogs
It all started a year ago. Emma — a Pumi breeder and World Champion Canine Freestyler from Sweden — was bringing some of her Pumi puppies to Florida for the event and needed someone to travel with her. She reached out to her Facebook friend, Viorel, who was from Germany and also trained dogs.
He agreed to join her.
Their “first date” was side-by-side on the airplane to Orlando.
The two dog-lovers spent a week together in Florida — exploring the area and watching dog shows. According to their friend Ginger Butler, those few days were more than enough to start their love affair. Shortly after, Viorel moved to Sweden to live with Emma, and they became engaged.
The Perfect Wedding Venue
As ANC approached, Emma and Viorel realized they would once again be traveling to Florida with their pups — back to the place they first fell in love. Emma shared that she would love to get married where they began their journey.
“That was all it took,” Ginger says. “She told a couple of crazy Pumi ladies that she would love to get married and the biggest dog show in America as it was the perfect location — where love began.”
The wedding took place following the Hungarian Pumi Club of America Regional Specialty in an empty show ring. The Pumi-themed wedding was made even more special by the HPCA club president, who is an ordained minister and flew from the West Coast to officiate.
And, of course, their ring bearer was a dog, bringing the ring down the aisle in his tuxedo. Surrounded by their club members, friends, and Pumik, Emma and Viorel said: “I Do.”
After the wedding, the couple and club enjoyed champagne and cake in the Pumi grooming area.
Emma shared on Instagram later that day: “I said before I was gonna tell you the story of how we met each other … When that story has been told I’m gonna tell you the story about how we got married in Florida 2018 AND my dog got a Major AND won best dog in the same day, at America’s biggest dog show.”
Want to Watch the Rest of the Weekend?
Don’t miss the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin on December 15 and 16, 2018. Tune in to AKC.TV, or download the AKC.TV app on Roku, Apple TV, or AmazonFireTV to catch the live stream starting on Saturday, December 15 at 12 p.m. ET. Watch the TV premiere on New Year’s Day on Animal Planet at 6 p.m. ET. Encore performance airs at 12 a.m.