Watch labrador walk down aisle with mom in matching gown - USA Today

A couple in Texas made a conscientious effort to include their "first love," a 3-year-old black labrador retriever named Charlie, at their nuptials last November in Montgomery.

"I wanted our wedding to be completely different and full of surprises. In fact, our guests did not even know they were coming to a wedding," the pup's owner Ashley Tomberlin told USA TODAY this month. "We invited everyone to what they thought was our engagement party and then surprised them by getting married."

Tomberlin said she "knew she wanted Charlie to be part of the day," so she and her mom "started talking about how fun it would be for her to be another little element of surprise."

The bride's wedding gown was custom designed in a "gorgeous pink silk brocade fabric" by Martina Liana at Brickhouse Bridal, a wedding store in Spring, Texas, and the duo thought it would be fun if Charlie wore the same fabric.

Tomberlin said she and her mother found design inspiration for Charlie’s dress, and Texas-based Luxury Tailors brought their vision to life.

"We wanted it to truly feel like a miniature companion to mine — not just a pink dog dress," Tomberlin said, adding that Charlie's gown was created using the same pink silk brocade and had matching bubble peplums "so you could immediately see the connection between our two dresses."

"Seeing Charlie walk down the aisle in her little gown made from the same fabric as mine was one of those moments that was so perfectly us," Tomberlin said. "She’s such a special part of our family, so it only made sense that she needed something just as special to wear."

Charlie is Tomberlin and her husband Jacob Tomberlin's first dog together. The couple adopted her when she was just 4 months old and the last puppy from her litter waiting to be adopted.

"There was just something about her eyes that spoke to us. We knew she was meant to be ours," Tomberlin said.

Charlie is now the oldest of the couple's three dogs.

Tomberlin said her dog has the "sweetest demeanor," is incredibly calm and peaceful and "absolutely loves to be loved."

"She wasn’t simply our first dog; she was really the beginning of our little family together," Tomberlin said.

Besides stealing everyone's hearts on the wedding day, Charlie truly owned the day.

Tomberlin said her pet "spent the morning hanging out with the guys while they were getting ready," before getting dressed in her gown, snapping a few photos and making her "big debut walking down the aisle with our maid of honor and best man."

"She sat so proudly during the beginning of the ceremony and then, in true Charlie fashion, calmly laid down and relaxed for the rest of it," Tomberlin said.

Once the ceremony concluded, she greeted guests with "lots of tail wags and kisses," ending the "big night in the groom’s suite relaxing with her great-grandfather, which honestly felt like the perfect ending to Charlie’s wedding day."

"She was completely herself from beginning to end—calm, loving and just happy to be surrounded by everyone she loves," Tomberlin said.

The wedding menu also included a Charlie-themed drink.

Tomberlin said the wedding reception had "two signature drinks," and "of course our dogs had to be represented!"

"Jacob’s favorite drink is Dr Pepper, so we named his signature drink 'The Charlie' after Charlie," Tomberlin said. "My signature drink was a margarita, which we named after our second dog, Ellie."

Tomberlin said her wedding was about "celebrating our love and the life we have created together."

"Charlie is such a big part of that life," she said. "Having her there beside us and getting to share something as special and fun as our matching gowns made the day feel even more personal."

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.