Why Do So Many Couples Want to Include Their Dog in Their Wedding?
We are asked often why couples incorporate their pups into their wedding. If you’re a dog person, then you already know the answer to this, but for those that might not fully understand what it is we do & why couples utilize our service, we’re here with some insight.
Couples including their dog in their wedding is nothing new necessarily, but in the past few years it has become much more popular.
We are asked often why couples incorporate their pups into their wedding. If you’re a dog person, then you already know the answer to this, but for those that might not fully understand what it is we do & why couples utilize our service, we’re here with some insight.
Photo credit: Marc Edwards Photographs
When we first started our “wedding day pet care” company in 2015, there was not one other business offering this service in the US.
(During our initial research way back when, we discovered just one company in Italy that seemed to be offering something similar to ours)
We were inspired while working in events at a hotel, realizing how many people wanted to have their dog as a part of their celebration, but the logistics of it all left them too overwhelmed to make it happen. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard someone say “I wish you were around when we got married!”.
We KNEW this was a thing, couples wanted their furry best friends to be a part of their day, but there were no solutions for how to get them to & from the venue, or for who would take responsibility for them or how to ensure Fido was well behaved around Mom’s beautiful white dress. That’s when the lightbulb went off.
WE could be the solution.
Photo credit: Cami Z Photography
We put our dream job into action when two close relatives were each set to be married within the same year. It all started to click when we made plans for their individual pups, one that was an older, gentle soul named Denver & the other a hyper, very excitable puppy named Harper.
We realized each wedding day would be different, each pet’s personality unique & their involvement in the day would vary.
When each respective wedding day rolled around, we were confronted with something we never could have fully anticipated; the IMPACT the pup’s presence would have on not only the couple, but on the bridal party, the guests & even the vendors!
Photo credit: Pezz Photo
Emotions on a wedding day are at an all time high - hope, excitement, fear of the unknown all wrapped up into this new & mysterious feeling. While the pup may not know exactly what this day represents - some are even adorably certain the day is about them - they do pick up on these emotions & it’s our experience, that they tend to just innately know exactly what it is we need.
We’ll never forget the moment before Harper walked down the aisle five years ago. You could feel the anticipation as the groom nervously awaited his bride, tears beginning to well up as the eyes of every guest rested on him, that is until his pup came strutting down. Harper made it a point to say “hello” to all of her friends, but saved the best for last when she was finally able to give a few much needed kisses to her Dad. It was a brief, but profound moment that brought an uncontrollable smile to everyone in the room.
And now that our sweet Denver has passed, the photos of him in his tuxedo looking so content with his Mom & Dad are irreplaceable & will help preserve precious memories for an eternity. Nothing can compare to the love that was shared on that special day & we are so grateful he was there to celebrate with the entire family.
You see, a dog is much more to many of us than just a pet.
They are FAMILY. They are our best friends.
One of the first questions we ask when meeting a new potential client is, “Did one of you bring your pup into the relationship or did you get them together?”. For so many, their dog was their first love, their baby. For others, they may have helped create an unbreakable bond that strengthened one’s relationship, leading to the realization they are in fact ready for the next step.
Photo credit: Ocean Bound Media
They bring an incomparable joy to the room, prompting us to slow down & simply live in the present moment. A tongue-out, tail-wagging reminder that we are exactly where we’re supposed to be.
Throughout all of life’s ups & downs, twists & turns, our pup’s unwavering love is always at our side, a lovable constant in an ever-changing world.
And, in our opinion, it’s exactly that kind of love should be brought to & recognized on one’s wedding day because, frankly, there is nothing else like it.
Photo credit: Monika Gauthier
We’ll just go ahead & say it,
all you need in life is love… & a dog!
Sacred Lands Wedding with Lola & Biscuit - St Pete, FL
We had fun adventuring with these two pitties before the ceremony, getting lots of energy out & letting them get their sniffs in so they could feel happy & comfortable in the new environment. They both walked great down the aisle & looked absolutely precious in their flower collars!
Lola & Biscuit were fairly recent additions to the family at the time of the wedding, but you would have thought they’d been with Briana & Jeremy since puppyhood!
We had fun adventuring with the pups before the ceremony, getting lots of energy out & letting them get their sniffs in so they could feel happy & comfortable in the new environment.
They both walked great down the aisle & looked absolutely precious in their flower collars!
These two rescue pitties had the BEST DAY EVER!
We asked the couple a few questions about including Lola & Biscuit in the wedding day:
Why did you include your dogs in your wedding?
They're a part of our family so it seemed natural that they be included.
What is the story of how your dogs became a part of the family?
Biscuit & Lola were fairly new family members at the time of our wedding.
Jeremy and I had lost both our OG dogs within the past 2 years but knew we wanted another 2 dogs when we felt ready again.
It had been about 8 months since we lost my dog, Stella, and I finally felt like I was open to new pups again. Stella was a pittie and I knew I wanted to save more pits - luckily Jeremy agreed!
We went to Pinellas County Animal Services, on a friend's recommendation, after picking a few pups we wanted to meet off their website. None of the cuties we picked in advance were quite right but then they brought Biscuit (formerly Mystique) out to play with one of the others we were looking at. And we knew she was the one!
We had spent so long playing with the dogs that I had to go to work and we didn't have time to find our second dog that day. We went back the next day with Biscuit and the volunteers recommended Lola (formerly Milan) as they already got along well in their play group. She was such a cute little bean, and we wanted a black dog anyway, that we decided to bring her home right away!
Did you incorporate your dogs into any other details on your wedding day?
We included pictures of our past dogs on our memorial table.
And I picked a fabric for our table runners that had dogs on it. :)
All dogs are the best dogs, but tell us something that makes your dogs special?
How attached they are to each other. We call them sisters and they act just like it!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your dogs?
How happy we are with our shelter pups :)
Photographer // Lifelong Photography Studios
Planner // Days Remembered by ND
Venue // Sacred Lands
Florist // By The Bay Floral
A portion of this FairyTail Wedding was donated to The Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Want to include your pet in your wedding day?
Contact us, we’re all ears!
Dr Phillips Center Wedding with Ollie - Orlando, FL
Ollie is the sweetest, happiest & most beautiful little Australian Shepherd! Even though their wedding venue is not pet friendly, his parents still wanted to find a way to celebrate with him on wedding day. We decided to set some time aside for photos with Ollie after their First Look.
Ollie is the sweetest, happiest & most beautiful little Australian Shepherd!
Even though their wedding venue is not pet friendly, his parents still wanted to find a way to celebrate with him on wedding day. We decided to set some time aside for photos with Ollie after their First Look.
Ollie was SO excited to have this special time with Mom & Dad. While he may not have known exactly what this day was all about, he could tell is was a big one.
We were able to get so many great shots while adventuring around a bit before the ceremony & had a great time while we were at it! Ollie loved walking around downtown Orlando in his tuxedo & being held by the Groom for a few cuddles & close ups.
After the photos, we dropped Ollie off at his pet sitters home for a well earned meal & some relaxation.
This mini Aussie had the BEST DAY EVER!
We asked the couple a few questions about including Ollie in the wedding day:
Why did you include your dogs in your wedding?
How could we not?! He's our little fur baby, and we couldn't imagine not including Ollie in our wedding day.
We were so happy we were able to have him in some of our bride and groom portraits, and the photos with him are some of our favorites. I'm sure Ollie would have loved to attend the wedding itself so he could personally greet every single wedding guest though!
What is the story of how your dogs became a part of the family?
We had always discussed adding a dog to our family, but none of the conversations ever progressed.
One day, Chris fell in love with a dog at an adoption event. We submitted our application, but unfortunately, someone else had gotten their application in first. Fast forward a few weeks, we were out with some friends, and I was glued to my phone looking at page after page of puppies by the end of the night.
The moment we saw Ollie's photo, we knew he was the one. We made the 2 hour drive out to Asheville a few weeks later to pick him up, and it's safe to say adding Ollie to our family was easily one of the best decisions we've ever made.
Did you incorporate your dogs into any other details on your wedding day?
We only included Ollie in photos on our wedding day, but he did help Chris decorate our apartment for the proposal...and by help decorate, I mean he tried to eat the rose petals that Chris had laid out :)
All dogs are the best dogs, but tell us something that makes your dogs special?
Ollie is the happiest, friendliest dog ever. He loves just about every single dog and human he meets, and his wiggle butt gives it away every time.
He is so energetic but also loves a good nap. We always laugh when Ollie starts barking or sticks out his tongue while deep in sleep - it's the cutest thing ever!
Photographer // Nate Puhr Photo & Cinema
Planner // Runway Events
Venue // Dr Phillips Center
A portion of this FairyTail Wedding was donated to The Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Want to include your pet in your wedding day?
Contact us, we’re all ears!