How You Can Use Your Dog, Cat, and Pets in Your Wedding

“Bark” Now or Forever Hold Your Peace – Including Your Pet in Your Wedding Day

On your wedding day, you want to be surrounded by all of your family and closest friends, right? For some couples, that means including their favorite pet, typically a dog, in the big day festivities as well. If you would like your own pet to take part in your special day, there are a few things to consider first. Read on to “bone” up on the basics.

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For starters, is your pet friendly? Is he or she comfortable around strangers and crowds? Does your pet have any behavioral issues? For instance, do they bite…bark…have frequent “accidents”? Trust me, you will not want the focus of your wedding day to be on a badly behaved canine! So, if you think your pet will wreak havoc at the wedding, consider bringing him or her to your engagement photo session instead. You could have some fun “family” photos taken at a local park or beach, in an environment that is far less stressful for your pet. Another idea would be to write your pet into your wedding vows or have your officiant mention something about your pet during the ceremony. You could also place a few framed photos of your beloved pet around your wedding venue and it will feel as though they were really there.

If your pet passes the personality test and is well behaved, the next step would be to clear the idea with your wedding venue and vendors. You will also want to inform your wedding guests that your pet will be present at the wedding. That way, any guests that might be allergic or afraid of pets can be prepared.

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Not quite sure what role your pet should play in your special day? One of the more traditional ways to include your pet in your wedding is as a bridesmaid, groomsman or ring bearer. Of course, this only works if your pet is very well behaved and easily trained. If you do select for your pet to carry the rings down the aisle, please make sure to use fake rings..in case “Fido” eats them or worse yet, runs away! If you don’t trust your pet to walk down the aisle without issue, you could simply leash your pet and have a member of your bridal party walk them down. Or, if your pet is lap-sized, you could have one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen carry your pet down the aisle…how cute would that be?

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Practice makes perfect! Be sure to practice multiple times with your pet beforehand, so they can get used to their role. If you only plan to have your pet attend the ceremony, you will need to make arrangements for someone to bring your pet home at the appropriate time. You could either hire a pet sitter to do this or assign the task to a guest or member of your bridal party. If your pet will be attending all of the wedding day festivities, remember to bring along some food, a water dish, bedding and their favorite toys. You will want your pet to be as comfortable as possible while they are away from home.