This Couple's Bernedoodle Made Multiple Appearances Throughout Their Michigan Wedding

When Jasmine Maggard and Cameron Fowler, an NHL hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks, became engaged in 2018, more than ten years after first meeting at a friend's bonfire in high school, there was a special VIP present for the proposal: Beauford, the couple's 85-pound bernedoodle. It made sense, then, that when the pair decided to tie the knot the following summer in a romantic, laid-back ceremony in their Michigan hometown, Beauford would be a part of that monumental occasion, too. Ultimately, this was all part of their plan to make their celebration as personal as possible.

"So much of our wedding reflected Cam and I as a couple," Jasmine says, citing their choice to get married near home, choosing venues to which they both have ties, illustrating their cocktail napkins with a sketch of "our massive baby, Beauford," and exchanging vows during an intimate first look as particularly memorable, deeply personal moments.

On August 10, 2019, the pair tied the knot in a Christian ceremony in front of 179 guests at Kirk in the Hills Church before heading over to the Orchard Lake Country Club for a party. Beauford was an integral part of the celebration through and through; he appeared on several of the event's paper goods, including the wedding-weekend information cards in the welcome bags, and even spent time with Jasmine as she got ready on the morning-of—choices born out of that personal, true-to-them approach to planning. "When looking back, everything Cam and I chose together, on our own terms, gave our wedding this sort of natural flow that I'm really proud of," she says. Her best advice to couples currently preparing for their own nuptials? "Trust your gut! We were careful not to get wrapped up in what other people thought of how our wedding was 'supposed to go.' Instead, we did things that felt real to us."

Watch Jasmine and Cam's wedding video by Out of the Blue Weddings.

An Ink & Nibs stationery suite introduced the day's sophisticated, but laid-back vibe. Featuring a blind letterpressed main invitation card, the set also came with a vellum overlay illustrated with a custom drawing of the church where Jasmine and Cam would wed. A thin white string held all of the paper elements together; stamps showed views of the couple's respective hometowns: Michigan and California.

Guests received a warm welcome to West Bloomfield, Michigan, in the form of a stocked welcome bag, filled with a bottle of local Mawby sparkling wine, a hangover recovery kit, a can of Perrier, samples from Detroit's Sister Pie, and an outline of the weekend's events that featured an illustration of Beauford, the couple's bernedoodle.

Even though Jasmine and Cam aren't members of the Kirk in the Hills Church, Cam was able to secure a date for them to wed there. "The route to our summer home always led Cam and I past this beautiful, gothic-style church—from the street it looked like a cathedral," Jasmine recalls. "We'd always joke that if we were Catholic, we'd get married in that church! One day we learned it was actually Presbyterian—Cam's denomination—and he promised me that if I still wanted, we'd be married there."

As Jasmine got ready on the big day, she had one of her best friends at her side: Beauford.

Jasmine found her Alon Livne White wedding dress "sort of by accident," she says. "I wanted to get the jitters of wedding-dress shopping out of the way, so I dragged my mom and sister along when they were in town by promising Champagne and lunch with a view afterward. We hit a bridal shop that was less than a mile away from my house, thinking we would just get an idea of prices and silhouettes. When I came out in the second dress I tried on, we all ended up laughing about how nothing else would even compare because it was clearly the dress I was meant to marry Cam in."

Cam wore a custom blue suit from Gentleman's Playbook, a company that counts many professional athletes as clients. "He loves the suit so much he even wore it for his first home game of the hockey season this year," Jasmine says. "I like to think it brought him good luck because he scored in the second period of that game!"

He finished off the look with a Breitling watch, a gift from his bride.

The pair met for a first look in the church's courtyard to exchange their vows in private. They got the idea from Cam's friend, who had gotten married a few weeks prior. "It was the most special moment of the day because our vows ended up having some funny parallels!" Jasmine reflects.

Jasmine held a bouquet by Katie Waschowiak; the arrangement was filled with multiple garden rose varieties, lisianthus, thornless blackberry, oak leaf hydrangea, ranunculus, and greenery such as clematis and passion vine.

To follow the event's romantic and bold theme, Jasmine's bridesmaids wore raspberry-colored dresses from Dessy.

Carillon bells played as the newlyweds left the church post-ceremony, during which they exchanged traditional Christian vows.

At the couple's reception venue, Orchard Lake Country Club, seating assignments were etched onto acrylic slabs. The small see-through signs showed off the red laceleaf blooms placed in the center of the installation's table; the florals immediately introduced bold, modern color into the reception space.

Beauford made another appearance during cocktail hour: His likeness graced the napkins which guests used as they sipped Casamigos tequila and Wilderness Trail Kentucky bourbon.

Back-to-back couches, separated by a tall, lush floral arrangement, gave guests an opportunity to steal a moment or two away from the merriment.

On the tabletops, U-shaped candle holders gave off a Scandinavian vibe, and lush centerpieces in blush, apricot, raspberry, and white florals dotted the long dinner table.

Woven floral arrangements marked the two most important seats in the house: the bride and groom's.

Contemporary grasses, punctuated by a few neutral buds, modernized the venue's traditional wall sconces.

At dinner, guests had their choice of entrée: filet mignon, Atlantic salmon, or Chicken Rockwell.

Sweet Heather Anne made three cakes for the reception: one vanilla confection with strawberry buttercream and two chocolate praline. The biggest was covered in chic marble fondant at Jasmine's request.

Cam is a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, so platters of them appeared alongside the cakes. Jasmine loves macarons, and three kinds were on offer: coffee, blueberry, and salted caramel.

Photography, Kyle John
Second Shooter, Momoko Fritz
Venue, Kirk in the Hills (ceremony); Orchard Lake Country Club (reception and catering)
Event Planning and Design, Sarah Rhodes Boyce
Flowers, Katie Wachowiak
Videography, Out of the Blue Weddings
Officiant, Rev. Dr. Nate Phillips
Stationery, Ink and Nibs
Cake, Sweet Heather Anne
Music, The Brian Alexander Band
Rentals, Emerson James; La Tavola; Nuage Designs; Event Theory
Bride's Gown, Alon Livne White
Bride's Accessories, Cartier; Mark Patterson; Jimmy Choo
Hair and Makeup, Configure Beauty Detroit
Bridesmaids' dresses, Dessy
Groom's suit, Gents Playbook
Menswear, Suit Supply
Transportation, Golden Limo