NEED TO KNOW
- Lumi, a celebrity dog with more than 550,000 followers on Instagram, served as ring bearer in his owners Jackie and Ben Jacob’s June 14 wedding in New York City
- The 4-year-old Samoyed wore a custom black tuxedo for the occasion
- “He did amazing! He made it to us and delivered the rings like a true gentleman,” Jackie tells PEOPLE
Bride and groom Jackie and Ben Jacob were perfectly content to be upstaged at their own wedding.
The couple’s dog Lumi — who happens to be an online celebrity with more than 550,000 followers on Instagram — stole the show at their June 14 nuptials when he trotted down the aisle in a custom black tuxedo in his role as ring bearer.
“He did amazing! He made it to us and delivered the rings like a true gentleman,” Jackie, 27, tells PEOPLE of the 4-year-old Samoyed’s big moment.
She says the couple’s nearly 200 guests got a kick out of the furry wedding party member. “They absolutely loved it. Everyone was taking pictures and videos, laughing, cheering, smiling,” she recalls. “They adored him.”
To thank him for his service, the couple treated Lumi to a special treat: a dinner featuring filet of beef, Peruvian potatoes and grilled asparagus, made by the wedding caterer, Marcia Selden Catering. The dog can be seen in a photo from Jackie and Ben’s wedding day smiling with excitement as he eyed his feast.
Lumi also made a cameo on the couple’s wedding cake, created by Lovely Cakes, in the form of a tiny figurine. In addition, the couple held giant cutouts of Lumi’s head on the dance floor.
Jackie, who is a social media influencer, and Ben, a former software engineer who is currently studying at Columbia Business School, welcomed Lumi into the family in August 2021.
The fluffy white dog first found internet fame in April 2023, when Jackie posted a video of herself carrying Lumi in a backpack, which she frequently uses to get around town with the large pup. The clip quickly went viral, racking up 4 million views in under 12 hours.
“From there, I started posting more, and people really enjoyed watching our life and what it’s like having a big dog in New York City,” Jackie explains.
And it’s no surprise to the couple that Lumi has captured the hearts of so many. “He’s a very goofy, silly boy — always smiling and always making us laugh while also being super sweet and showing love to anyone and everyone,” Jackie says.
Jackie and Ben, also 27, first met at summer camp when they were 11 years old and began dating when they were 16. They got engaged in December in London’s Hyde Park.
“We fell in love with the city when we both studied abroad there at the same time in 2018,” Jackie tells PEOPLE. “It was our first time being in the same place together — since we didn’t grow up in the same town — so it was super special that we got to experience London together.”
When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew it had to be in New York City, where they’ve put down roots together — and they were equally set on Lumi being a part of the special occasion. They tied the knot at 74Wythe, a Brooklyn venue with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While they opted to have a black-tie event, they still wanted the celebration to have a “fun and lighthearted” feel, Jackie notes.
“With all of the Lumi- and city-themed decor, I think we accomplished that balance of formal and fun,” she says.
For the ceremony, which was officiated by Rabbi Jonathan Blake, Jackie wore Suzanne Neville’s Degas dress.
In an adorable moment, the couple did a “first look” with Lumi. In a clip shared on Instagram, the dog could be seen trotting up to Jackie and Ben, as they stood in their wedding finery, and running excited circles around them.
“I tried so hard not to cry at how cute this was,” Jackie wrote in the caption.
Read the full article here
