Bow Vows

If you weren’t at Sylvie Nides and Sampson Burke’s golden anniversary party this past September, you missed the event of the year, maybe even of the decade. After all, how often do you get the chance to see two dogs renewing wedding vows under a chuppah?

Jane Nides, Sylvie’s mom and a medical marketing representative, was the matchmaker who brought the panting couple together 50 dog-years ago. She got the idea for the wedding after she heard about a fundraiser called Dog Day Afternoon to raise money for DIFFA (The Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) and the Animal Humane Society. Instead of just taking her dog to the event, Nides had a better idea.

“I thought, why don’t I add onto that event, and have my dog get married? And instead of people bringing gifts, ask for donations?” She called up her neighbor and friend Cindy, mother of Sampson, a pedigreed bearded collie, and tested the waters. Would Sampson be intersted in, you know, hooking up with Sylvie?

Few arranged marriages work out so well. The nuptials were held on July 27, 1996 at Midway Stadium in conjunction with Dog Day Afternoon, with more guests, bridesmaids, musicians, and cake than most human weddings.

Every year since then, Nides has hosted an anniversary party in her Linden Hills home, with Sylvie in her original wedding dress. And while the annual event is a chance to get together with friends, it’s always connected with at least one charity.

This year’s party raised money for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Humane Society. And being that Sylvie and Sampson were celebrating 50 dog-years of wedded bliss, Nides pulled out all the stops. As guests arrived on the warm September even-ing, they were asked to choose a dog tag, in-scribed with one of three legends to wear over their black-tie garb: “good dog,” “bad dog,” or “crazy dog.” Thus tagged, they were treated to wine, fine food, strolling musicians, and the commissioned work of Minneapolis mural artist Peter Bue, better known as Fucci.

When everyone was present, Nides announced on a megaphone that the ceremony was starting down in her newly created rock garden. The crowd stood in solemn anticipation as the steadfast couple renewed their vows under the colorful chuppah. Lawrence Hutera, the Twin Cities singer who serenaded the couple at the original wedding in 1996, sang the same beloved songs. After Sampson broke the wine glass (with the help of an unidentified size-9 pump), the lovers spent the rest of the evening mingling. After many hours of revery, guests were sent on their way with two lovely keepsakes: a “House of Fun and Fur” chocolate bar, and a lint roller to relieve themselves of stray Sylvie and Sampson fuzz.

The couple’s secret to keeping the puppy love alive? Having a little breathing room in their marriage. “Sampson moved away a while ago, so for the past few years they’ve only seen each other at the anniversary parties,” Nides explains. “It works well.”—Stephanie Watson