300 Weddings, Four Celebrations, and One Very Impeccably-Dressed Westie
A Bridgerton themed mehndi party at a historic Monterey house. Tea, pastries, and breakfast crêpes. Beautiful Indian outfits everywhere I looked. A groom playing violin, a bride singing to her groom, and a little white terrier with an outfit for every occasion.
Rittika and Navam’s wedding weekend gave me so much to love. Getting to celebrate Dog Of Honor®’s 300th wedding with them and their dog, Frankie, made it even more special.
And yes, Frankie absolutely kept up with the wardrobe changes.
Frankie already knew the stroller life
This wasn’t my first celebration with Frankie. I cared for him at Rittika and Navam’s engagement party in February 2025, which was also his introduction to the bougie stroller life.
An important chapter in any dog’s personal history.
By their wedding weekend, I knew I would be spending time with a very loved member of the family. Rittika and Navam adopted Frankie while they were attending the University of Illinois, and many of their guests had known him since those college days.
So when this six-year-old Westie arrived at the celebrations, he had fans to greet. Lots of them. Everyone wanted a photo, a hello, or a little Frankie time.
Bridgerton, but make room for Frankie
Friday morning’s mehndi party at the historic Perry House was such a fun way to begin the wedding weekend. The colorful Indian outfits against that beautiful historic setting, the tea and pastries, the breakfast crêpes. There was plenty to take in before we even got to the dancing.
Rittika and Navam taught their guests how to dance in the style of Bridgerton, and two mehndi artists from Henna Traditions created henna designs for the guests. Earlier in the week, they designed Frankie into Rittika’s mehndi. I loved how they brought the theme into the celebration through things everyone could enjoy and participate in.
And then there was Frankie, dressed to coordinate with his parents. His mehndi outfit was my favorite of the entire weekend. With this many beautiful outfits around him, he had understood the assignment. Of course, I brought my collection of colorful Sunny Tails leashes so I could coordinate his leash with each of his four outfits from Boof Bybella. Finally, an occasion that justified owning every color!
Of course, his best accessory was his reaction to seeing Rittika and Navam. He would turn into an absolute wiggle worm, and Rittika would light up and start talking to him in her baby voice. Every reunion was a whole event.
A very personal soundtrack
The sangeet at The Barns at Cooper Molera featured a photo booth, performances, and another chance for Frankie to visit his admirers.
Navam played the violin. Rittika sang a medley of songs dedicated to Navam.
A group of friends performed a Bollywood dance. I loved how much of themselves and their friendships they brought to the celebration.
Frankie joined the photo booth and mingling before the performances began. Loud music is stressful for him, so once the performances began, we headed back to my hotel.
His evening ended with him sleeping like a rock beside me. Being this popular takes something out of a dog.
Golden yellow outfits, beachside celebrations, and a concerned Westie
Saturday’s Haldi and wedding ceremony were both at Monterey Beach Station. For the morning Haldi, yellow outfits and yellow and white decorative parasols filled the beach setting. With the ocean right there, it was such a beautiful scene.
The tide, however, had plans of its own.
Before the Haldi, I got caught between a wave and the ceremony chairs while helping Frankie post with Navam for photos. Frankie, who is especially worried when he sees people in the water, was very concerned about me, his new favorite treat dealer. I took him inside right away, and he settled once he knew I was safe. Sweet boy.
Frankie’s part in the Haldi gathering was posing for photos, modeling his latest threads, and visiting with guests who could never get enough of him. Afterward, we had time for a little Monterey outing before the wedding ceremony.
Out came the stroller. We explored, stopped for an impromptu photo shoot in a cute boutique, went to lunch, and spent time at a park.
Frankie also appreciates a thorough sniff of absolutely everything. If you’re measuring a walk in blocks, you’re using the wrong unit when you’re with Frankie, he measures in smells.
Frankie’s moment down the aisle
After our lunch outing, I dressed Frankie in his fourth outfit of the weekend. We skipped out on the baraat because the loud noise was just too much for him. Fortunately, the tide was farther out by the 5 p.m. wedding ceremony, and Frankie made much anticipated entrance.
Escorted by the couple’s friend, Frankie walked down the aisle to the mandap as their ring bearer. Rings delivered, I took him inside so he could relax away from the ocean.
Planning those appearances and breaks was a big part of my role throughout the weekend. They could enjoy having him there knowing I was watching for what he needed and keep him calm without putting that responsibility and stress onto any of their guests.
After photos, Frankie and I headed to dinner in Monterey and back to the hotel. On Sunday morning, I reunited him with his parents at their hotel as they continued their very Frankie-friendly honeymoon in Carmel.
The shoulder naps deserve their own mention
I loved the outfits, the settings, and all the ways Rittika and Navam made this celebration their own. But one of my favorite memories is Frankie falling asleep with his head over my shoulder.
When he was tired, he would sleep in my arms or drape himself over my shoulder like a baby. Between the outings, stroller naps, and time together, I became his favorite third person.
Rittika and Navam told me that having Frankie at their wedding would not have been possible without me. Knowing they could include him in a weekend this meaningful, and that he trusted me enough to fall asleep in my arms, meant so much.
Celebrating 300 weddings with a team I’m proud of
While I was in Monterey with Frankie, our team was caring for dogs at three other weddings that same day.
That is a part of this milestone I’m especially proud of. I’ve grown Dog Of Honor into a team that couples and planners can depend on, with people who understand how much these celebrations matter.
Weddings carry enormous expectations, and couples deserve vendors they can count on. The planners who continue recommending us are trusting us with their couples, their timelines, and a very important member of each family. I take that seriously.
To Rittika and Navam, thank you for inviting me into another chapter of your life with Frankie. To our couples, planners, and team, thank you for helping us reach 300 weddings.
And Frankie, thank you for being such a stylish +1 and making room for me in your very busy social life.
Photo Credit: Thank you to Komal at Wynehouse for sharing so many beautiful images with us!
And thank you to the entire team, especially the Limelight Productions team!
Henna: Henna Traditions
Hair & Makeup: Makeup by Abhilasha Singh
Videography: Stavick Studios
Venues: Perry House, Barns at Cooper Molera, Monterey Beach Station
Live artist: KVT Fine Art
DJ: Desi Jams
Design Decor + Florist: Dazzling Streaks
Electric Violinist: Shaina
Photo booth: Litpics Photo
Four celebrations, a wardrobe to rival his parents’, and a very full social calendar. Frankie the Westie helped us celebrate our 300th wedding at Rittika and Navam’s Indian wedding weekend in Monterey, complete with a Bridgerton-themed mehndi, ring bearer duties, and bougie stroller breaks.