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ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
April 16-April 22, 2021
NEWLYWEDS CELEBRATE THEIR ‘PUPTIALS’
WITH FUR BABIES AT GLEN OAKS DOG PARK
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
The Glen Oaks Village Enchanted
Forest Dog Park has been the site of
birthday parties and Halloween contests
since its inception in 2012. But Dee
Philips and James Forrester turned it
up a notch and decided to have their
wedding photoshoot at the private dog
run on Friday, April 9.
The four-legged wedding party included
Philips’ two fur babies Chloe
and Sunday, Forrester’s dog Bailey,
and three of their puppy friends.
It wasn’t an easy task to get the dog
pack to pose for the wedding photos.
However, bribing the pooches, wearing
fashionable dog wedding attire with
treats seemed to do the trick and the
canines eventually settled down.
The bride, who works as a bid administrator
for Tully Construction,
told QNS that the couple met 30 years
ago at Rikers Island during a construction
project.
Forrester, who was the plumber for
the construction company, walked into
Philips’ trailer and asked if he could
use the fax machine. Philips said she
responded by saying, “I’m not your
mother, lover or your friend.”
They reconnected while working at
Ground Zero. The friendship developed
over the years, and they grew closer,
especially during the pandemic.
Dee was the one who initiated the
nuptials about a month ago.
“I’m like, ‘Well, you want to do it?’
And then he’s like, ‘Yeah,'” the beaming
bride said.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions,
the couple tied the knot in a virtual
ceremony earlier in the day at their
Dee Philips and James Forrester celebrated their union at the Glen Oaks Village Enchanted Forest Dog Park on Friday, April 9,
2021. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
home and will have a small celebration
with their closest friends — most are
already vaccinated — at Tavern 18.
Asked by QNS why they decided to
have their wedding photos taken at the
picturesque dog park, which sits on a
gentle slope and is covered with special
K9 artificial turf, Philips cited the
connection the couple has with their
furry friends.
“Our dogs helped us through a lot
of things during this pandemic, you
know,” she said. “There are our babies.
We are both 56, we are not going to have
any kids, and they are our kids.”
“We are always here,” she added.
“We have pool parties here for the dogs;
they have Halloween costume parties
where everybody dresses up. It’s safe,
everybody’s vaccinated, everybody’s
neutered, and they cleaned it up for us
today.”
“It’s our home away from home,”
James added.
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