• Kristy Biro and Eric Gaidis tied the knot in Colorado in August 2022 surrounded by friends, family and their beloved dog, Cece.
• Because they wed in Colorado — one of the few states that allows couples to self-solemnize or self-unite their marriage — Cece was able to sign her owners’ marriage license with a paw print.
• Biro tells PEOPLE that she and her husband “always knew” they wanted their pup to take part in their special day.

When it came time to plan their wedding day, bride and groom Kristy Biro and Eric Gaidis knew they wanted their dog, Cece, to play a big role.

Because the couple tied the knot in Colorado — one of the few states that allows couples to self-solemnize, or self-unite, their marriage — they were able to not only have Cece be present, but be the one who made their marriage official.

In an adorable video shared to TikTok by photographer, Felicia TeKolste, the Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix is seen stamping her paw print onto the couple’s marriage license.

Though each state’s specific guidelines can vary, Brides notes, several states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Colorado allow couples a version of a self-solemnizing wedding.

TeKolste tells PEOPLE that about “45 percent” of the couples she photographs opt to marry themselves. “When you don’t need a witness this allows you to get creative and utilize the spot for your pets paw prints,” she explains.

The couple’s August 2022 nuptials was a destination wedding with “45 of our closest friends and family,” Biro tells PEOPLE. While there was no officiant present, the couple didn’t want to lead the whole wedding themselves so tasked various loved ones with helping them during the ceremony.

“Our ceremony combined our three favorite things: our closest friends and family, Cece and the mountains,” explains Biro, who works as a travel nurse.

An especially meaningful moment for the bride was when Biro’s father stepped up to speak after months of health struggles.

“Eric and I had not asked my dad to speak during the ceremony because my dad was very sick the three months leading up to the wedding battling cancer, and it was a miracle he was able to attend our wedding,” Biro remembers. “My dad said he felt the best the week of our wedding than he felt all summer.”

As for Cece’s role in their nuptials, after running down the aisle toward her mom and dad after they took their places, the pup hung out by the best man during the ceremony.

“We always knew we wanted Cece to be a part of our wedding,” Biro says of the 5-year-old dog. “And now we have our marriage certificate with her paw print to treasure forever.