When Andria Farthing was planning her June 17 wedding in Madison, Wisconsin, she knew just who to ask to be her flower girl: Patrick Casey, her 28-year-old cousin.
Casey told Huffpost that he and Farthing were close growing up and once served as flower girl and ring bearer at a wedding together when they were little kids.
Four years ago, Casey was introduced to Farthing’s now-husband Jake and immediately liked him. He had a feeling the couple would end up together and began pestering them to include him in their wedding.
“I was lobbying to be their ‘flower man’ even before they were engaged,” Casey said.
And, it turns out, the couple didn’t think it was such a bad idea.
“A little later, after their engagement, they honored me by bestowing me with the duty I so craved,” he said.
When the wedding day came, Casey took his role very seriously:
“I used the same flower basket that she used when we were in that wedding together as children!” Casey told HuffPost.
Casey thoroughly believes his untraditional role added some “levity to their special day.”
“A good marriage includes a lot of laughing,” Casey told HuffPost. “So what’s wrong with a bit of fun at your wedding with someone you both love and who loves you both?”
And although Farthing was on board to have Casey be her flower man, not everyone else was ― at first.
“I think there was some skepticism, but after, many people complimented me on being funny while not crossing the line,” Casey said.
“I think most people were won over when I stopped at the end of the aisle, put the basket down...”
″...And pulled flower petals from my pockets and threw them in the air, LeBron powder-toss style.”
Casey, who says he was honored to share in this special moment with his cousin, does lament one tiny thing about his experience as flower man.
“My only regret is forgetting to use the flower petals I had stuffed into one of my shoes,” he said. “Maybe next time!”
You can see Casey’s entire walk down the aisle in the video above.