DIXON – Anyone who’s been to a wedding is familiar with the wedding march: The ceremonial walk to the altar that culminates with the bride’s grand entrance – slow, measured steps down the aisle on her way to becoming a wife. A solemn and sacred celebration of a couple’s love.

But what about the other wedding walk? The one that goes clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop …

That’s the sound couples hear when they book a Dixon business to work its magic and bring a fairy-tale flavor to their wedding: A horse and carriage courtesy of Jared Yater.

Yater is the other person getting hitched at weddings, courtesy of his business, Mane Street Carriage, which offers horse-drawn carriages and wagons for special occasions.

On a day when it can seem like everything’s moving at a mile a minute, Yater’s Percheron horses will bring their steady temperament to the proceedings, giving the couple a much-needed moment to sit back and relax. He’s seen firsthand how these “gentle giants” can ease people’s tension and steady their nerves, creating a moment where time seems to loosen its grip.

Yater’s path to his business stretches back nearly two decades and grew out of years spent behind the reins. He worked for another carriage company before striking out on his own about 10 years ago, slowly building Mane Street Carriage into an operation that now serves weddings, funerals and other events.

He’ll hitch up his trailer and haul his horses and carriage within about a 50-mile radius of his Dixon stable, offering a flat fee and a flexible presence.

“I can take them in, I can take them out, I can take them for a little ride,” Yater said. “It’s about a two-hour window that we stay around.”

Part of the magic comes from the animals themselves, he said. Percherons are bred to serve – calm, powerful and eager to please – traits that serve a wedding well.

Yater raises many of his horses himself, bringing them home at about a year old and beginning their training slowly, teaching the basics long before they ever pull riders in a carriage.

“They’re working horses,” Yater said. “The No. 1 thing that makes them work is their temperament. The average Percheron draft horse has a great temperament for doing things like this. They’re gentle giants – that phrase gets thrown out there a lot, but they really are. They’re kind horses.”

That shared trust extends beyond horse and handler. Yater has found that wedding parties, even those not used to being around animals of their size, lean into the moment with a kind of reverence.

“I haven’t had a wedding party or guests not appreciate them and respect them as much as I do, so I don’t hesitate to work with a wedding party,” he said.

As the horses set the tone, Yater watches the transformation unfold. It often begins the instant the carriage moves.

“It’s interesting for me to watch how the presence of these gentle giants changes the feeling,” he said. “Horses slow us down. We have hauled brides and dads, the couple, just the bride, kids and a mix of all of the above. No matter who our guests are, it gets quiet as soon as we ride off. Immediately, the conversations change, become softer spoken, and time slows down.”

Yater’s vis-à-vis carriage is a face-to-face design that allows riders to sit opposite one another while he drives from a seat up front. Often, the bride and groom take a quiet loop for photographs, either before the ceremony or afterward, slipping away from the crowd for a few moments alone. No two rides are ever the same, he said.

During the rides, the atmosphere is intentionally subdued. There may be a bottle of champagne, soft conversation about how the day unfolded, and long pauses where no one speaks at all. Yater keeps quiet unless the couple engages him; he allows them to set the pace and decide when they are ready to return.

“I’ll let them tell me when they’re ready to go back,” Yater said. “I don’t want to rush them.”

The operation runs on upkeep, long hours and details that most wedding guests never see. Yater maintains multiple carriages and a dozen different wagon tops he designed himself, tinkering with new creations almost daily. There are decisions about shoe traction for different surfaces, harness care, carriage repairs and transportation logistics.

Four of Yater’s grandkids help where they can, from cleaning stalls and hauling manure to feeding horses and tagging along on grain runs, gradually learning the responsibilities that come with caring for animals and preparing for events.

For Yater, the tasks they take on aren’t just a job: “The grandkids are learning some valuable things too,” he said.

What makes Mane Street Carriage stand apart, Yater said, is the feeling it creates – something each of his clients describes in different ways.

“It’s unique,” Yater said. “It’s peaceful. It adds beauty. It’s majestic. It’s hard to pinpoint one feeling because I’ve heard it all from brides and grooms, and family members. The presence of them makes it feel a little more special for the bride and groom. It looks like a royal treatment type of experience.”

When people experience the gentle way of the carriage and the almost hypnotic rhythm of the clip-clop of the hooves, it adds another layer to an already meaningful day. Every smile, every hushed crowd, and every bride gripping her husband or father’s hand a moment longer as they ride in the carriage becomes a reminder of why Yater does what he does: offering a respite during a rushed day and a special memory that they’ll carry with them for years to come.

As much as people guide themselves through their own lives, it’s a welcoming change of pace to let someone else take the reins, if even for a short while.

“Everyone says something different,” he said. “I’ll get calls from families who want to have this for their daughter, or for their son for their wedding. It’s a beautiful experience for them, and they like and enjoy horses.”

After years of taking couples for rides, Yater has learned that the moment resonates not just with those in the carriage, but with the people watching.

“I’ve had many people say that they’re so majestic, and it’s beautiful to see the bride and groom ride in the carriage and ride off,” Yater said.

Find “Mane Street Horse-Drawn Carriage & Wagon Rides” on Facebook or call 815-440-6539 for more information.