My Dog Can’t Attend My Wedding - How Can I Still Incorporate Them in the Day?
Just because your pet can’t actually ATTEND your wedding, absolutely does not that they can not be honored in a special way. Check out our ideas on how to incorporate your pet in your wedding!
Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life. A lot of couples choose to share this special day with their loved ones, and for a lot of couples their list of loved ones includes a pet.
You consider them family and want them to be a part of the celebration.
For a number of reasons, your pet may not be able to physically join in on the fun, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still incorporate them into the day!
Check out a few of our favorite ways to incorporate your pup in your wedding, even if they cannot attend!
Save-The-Dates and Engagement Photos
This one makes the top of our list because it will be a fun experience for your pup & the photos will last a lifetime! Use the photos for your Save-The-Date and let your pup announce the big news to all of your friends & family!
Check out our 5 Tips for Including Your Dog in Your Engagement Photos before the session to make sure it’s a paw-sitive experience for all!
Stationary (Invitation, RSVP cards etc.)
This adorable & tasteful design is the perfect way to honor your love of animals! Work with an artist to create a custom design of your pet to incorporate into your stationary. We are just in love with how these turned out!
Signature Drinks
A lot of couples come up with a Signature Drink to serve at their reception. Add a personal touch by naming your drink after your pet! We know you have about 15,000 nicknames for your pet, get creative with your partner & design signage to showcase your custom menu option!
Doggie Bags
If you’re surrounding yourself with the right people, most of your guests will have pets of their own so why not offer them a treat to take home? It is a thoughtful way to spread the puppy love to all of your furry family & friends that could not attend the wedding.
Cake Topper
You are officially a family come reception time! Create a custom cake topper that really showcases your family as a whole by including your pets, as well. This will likely be something you hold onto forever, so make it extra special!
Life Size Pet Cut-Outs
What’s the next best thing to having your pet at your wedding? Why, having a life-size cut out of them, of course! This is such a FUN idea & we guarantee your pet will be the life of the paw-ty!
Check out our friends at AGold Photo for some more examples of this awesome idea!
Just because your pet can’t actually ATTEND your wedding, absolutely does not that they can not be honored in a special way.
We hope you found some of these ideas helpful and inspiring!
Did you or do you plan to incorporate your pet in your wedding day? We’d love to hear your ideas, so leave a comment below or find us on social media!
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How to Include Your Pet in Your Wedding Ceremony
Considering including your pet in your wedding ceremony? Great idea! Here are a few tips to make sure everything goes paw-fectly!
While incorporating your pet into your wedding ceremony is not the only way to include them, it sure is a special way to include them in the day.
For a lot of couples, their pet is a big part of the family & having them by their side during one of the most important moments of their lives only seems right.
Once you’ve decided you want to have your pet play a role in your ceremony, it’s time to think about the logistics. There are a few things to consider to make sure everything goes smoothly on the day of the wedding.
Here are a few of our tips for including your pet in your wedding ceremony!
Consider Your Pet’s Personality
As we mentioned, including your pet in your wedding ceremony is not the only way to include them in the day, so you have to ask yourself, is the ceremony the right fit for them? If they are anxious around strangers, this may be too overwhelming for them.
You don’t want to have to worry during your ceremony that your dog (or pet) may be stressed out, so think about this ahead of time & make sure you have their best interest in mind.
2. Choose a Role for Your Pet
While we’re sure your pup (or pet) will be happy with whatever role you choose for them, defining this ahead of time is a great way to make sure they do not get overlooked on the day of.
‘Dog of Honor’ and ‘Best Dog’ are great options for that extra special member of your bridal party. ‘Ring Bearer’ is a favorite, even if they don’t actually carry the rings down the aisle.
Even choosing to have your dog (or pet) as an escort to walk an important family or bridal party member down the aisle is a wonderful role for them.
Or maybe you just want your pet to walk back down the aisle with you once the I Do’s are over & you are officially a family!
3. Who Will Walk Them Down the Aisle?
This is something we hear couples struggle to decide. Our recommendation? Choose the person your dog (or pet) is most comfortable with AND the person who is most comfortable with your pet.
In theory, your little flower girl or ring bearer might seem like the best fit, but will they be comfortable handling your pet? If they are young, they will likely be nervous simply about walking down the aisle themselves, it may be wise not to add any pressure onto this.
If you think your dog (or pet) can handle themselves & walk down the aisle on their own, that is always an option! However, really think about your ceremony site & make sure you have someone at the end of the aisle prepared to help them down if they get distracted & to leash them up once they’ve made it down.
4. Inform Your Vendors that Your Pet Will Be in the Ceremony
This is a BIG one. Maybe even the biggest one. Your vendors are there to make sure you have the best day ever & they are extremely focused on the details. There is a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes & you never know what small adjustments they need to make once they know a dog (or pet) will be a part of your ceremony.
Before anything else, check with your venue to make sure they will allow your pet to be a part of your ceremony.
Your planner or coordinator should be next on this list. They may even handle informing your other vendors for you, but either way they NEED to know your pet will be there.
Your photographer should be right up there, also. You’ll want photos of your pup’s happy face coming down the aisle & you want to make sure your photographer is prepared for this.
5. Practice Makes Paw-fect
It can make all the difference to allow your pet to practice walking down the aisle before the big moment. This isn’t so much so they can rehearse, but more so they can really feel comfortable in this new environment.
If you make time before the ceremony to help familiarize themselves with the ceremony site & get their sniffs in ahead of time, they are much less likely to feel overwhelmed when the spotlight is on!
6. Play it by Ear, Have an Exit Plan & Remain Flexible
Your pet will add such a special element to your wedding ceremony, but you don’t want their presence to become a distraction at all. Even if you have the most well-behaved dog (or pet), you can never really know how they will react when it comes time for the ceremony.
Consider whether you want them to try to stay up with your bridal party, or if you want them taken away once they walk down the aisle. Have an exit plan in place for them in case they get a little too excited when they see Momma heading down the aisle. Designate someone to keep their eyes on your pet in case they do need to step away.
The last thing you want when including your pet in your ceremony is for them to feel uncomfortable & not have a place to retreat to or a person to help them get there.
7. Wedding Day Pet Care
Now that you’re really thinking about everything that will go into including your pet in your wedding ceremony, you may be coming to the conclusion that you want to have someone there specifically to care for your pet.
Your wedding vendors will need to focus on their duties and you want your guests & family to be able to remain completely present during this special day. Hiring a professional pet sitter for your wedding day, means that you AND your pet will have the best day ever.
Their handler will be completely focused on them & their needs. This means you will be able to relax knowing your baby is in good hands. Not only that, but a professional will understand the ins & outs of the wedding logistics & will ensure your pet will be able to be a part of your wedding ceremony without becoming a distraction at all.
If you take these tips into consideration & plan ahead, including your pet in your wedding ceremony will be a positive experience that you will not regret.
Have questions? Want help including your pet in your wedding ceremony?
Contact Us for more information on our wedding day pet care services!
Best of FairyTail Weddings: Bridal Party Photos
Your Bridal Party photos on your wedding day would not be complete without your Dog of Honor! Check out some of our favorite bridal party photos from past weddings!
Your Bridal Party photos on your wedding day would not be complete without your Dog of Honor!
It’s not always easy to get a group of people together all looking at the camera. Adding a dog into this group can make things even more interesting.
We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves to help your pup look at the camera, but they can also have their effect on people, too! ;-)
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Bridal Party shots over the past few years to share with everyone.
If you think there’s no way to get the perfect shot with all of your favorites on your wedding day, we have a feeling these pictures will change your mind.
Meeko
Meeko walked down the aisle with the groomsman holding his leash in this photo along with the ring bearer. It was so perfect to get a shot with everyone included!
Photo: KV Photography / Venue: Bella Collina / Planner: Blush BBG
Roux & Laela
It doesn’t hurt that this photo has the picturesque background of the Peachtree House, but we love this photo for all the big smiles & the proud look on Roux & Laela’s faces!
Photo: Bumby Photography / Venue: Peachtree House Market / Planner: Mobella Events
Arnold & Winnie
Surprisingly, this photo with 24 people & 2 dogs took almost no time to coordinate. With a professional photographer’s eye & our squeaky toys & treats, we got the perfect shot!
Photo: Limelight Photography / Venue: Le Meridien Tampa / Planner: Breezin’ Entertainment
Gatsby
Walking photos are not always easy, especially when it’s with the entire bridal party. Luckily, Gatsby took the lead here & everyone else just fell into place.
Photo: KV Photography / Venue: Four Seasons Orlando / Planner: Pavone Events
Copper
A beautiful group all dressed in black with the golden boy & stunning couple right in the middle! The lush green garden of the Vinoy makes for the perfect back drop.
Photo: Life’s Highlights / Venue: The Vinoy Renaissance
Dakota & Aspen
These pups had whole lot of energy, but by the end of the day they were just ready to relax & smile for some photos. We didn’t even have to pose them, they just placed themselves perfectly, making our job look easy!
Photo: K&K Photography / Venue: Don CeSar / Planner: Cheers Events
Willow
Love this bridal party photo of everyone celebrating post-ceremony. We’re pretty sure Willow thought the “hoorays” were for her & we didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise. What a good girl!
Photo: Concept Photography / Venue: Sacred Lands / Planner: Blue Skies
Dixie
Dixie & her momma have a very special bond, so it was important to have a photo with all the Bride’s favorite ladies!
Photo: Pezz Photo / Venue: Stonebridge Weddings & Events / Planner: RSBP Events
Captain
Captain was definitely one of the guys. He hopped right in this shot & knew exactly where to lay; his favorite spot, right at Dad’s feet!
Theodore
We just love Theo’s pose here, showing off his custom-made suit! He was happiest right by his Momma’s side & we think it shows in this pic!
Photo: Emma Anne Photo / Venue: Mission Inn Resort / Planner: Blush BBG
Bee & Rigby
We love this casual shot of Bee & Rigby getting ready with the Groom & his groomsman. They had a blast hanging out with the pups pre- ceremony!
Photo: Lauren Galloway Photography / Venue: Stonebridge Weddings & Events
Photo: Ashley Izquierdo / Planner: Stonehouse Events
Considering including your pet in your wedding day? Have questions? We’re all ears!
Contact Us & Let’s Chat!
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