How to Plan a Dog-Friendly Wedding

As long as there is enough food and the chocolate is out of reach – every wedding is a dog-friendly wedding. More often than not, pets are fairly easy to take care of, unless you own a green iguana with specific needs such as UV lighting and special tanks. Having a dog at a wedding won’t be that difficult, especially if your dog is calm and trained.

Planning a dog-friendly wedding where the pooch is a part of the event is a different story. The thing is, as cooperative as dogs tend to be, some issues always tend to pop up here and there. We’re going to list some steps you can undertake to plan a dog-friendly wedding. As you will see, some careful preparation goes a long way in everything, and dog-friendly events are no different.

Ring Bearer

A dog walking down the aisle with a ring box strapped to its back would be an idea. The only thing to pay attention to is that the ring does not become lunch or a snack.  Imagine a scenario where you’d have to fish out the symbol of your eternal dedication for one person from steaming hot dog feces. Fairly tricky stuff, plus it can be dangerous for the dog’s bowels if it’s a small breed. In terms of outfit, equipping your dog for this role is fairly simple. Just connect the ring box to a vest or some sort of strap. Then connect that to the dog.

Choose a Pet-Friendly Venue

Before you make any agreements with the dog about how it will act during the ceremony, check the venue first. Remember, some wedding venues don’t allow pets on their premises. The restaurant you’re at can claim that your ring bearer is ‘too filthy’ for their establishment. What a travesty that would be for the entire ceremony! First, check if the venue you want to choose for your wedding is pet-friendly or not.

Inform Your Guests

Let’s say your best man and the officiant already know about your intentions to make the dog the ring bearer. But your aunt from the country might not. And guess what – she’s super allergic to dogs. You know what else?  A dog once bit her when she was a kid, so she’s got PTSD linked to dogs, too.  A dog ate her homework once. But when she told the teacher the truth about what had happened – the teacher did not believe her, and gave her an F and told her she was a ‘dogged’ liar.

Some people don’t like dogs. To prevent embarrassing situations, make sure that you let everyone know in advance that there will be some dogs present. In case you want to keep the dog’s role in the wedding a surprise, then don’t go into details. But do inform everyone that the dogs will be present at the wedding.

Take Photos Together

If you’re going to have dogs dressed to the nines at your wedding, make as many photos as you can. To do this well, you may want to set up a backdrop for it, too. There is no limit to what this backdrop can look like and what theme it can represent. One great idea that always works wonders is to set up some sort of backboard. Then, on the backboard, write all the names of the couple, the date, and other relevant pieces of information.

A wedding photo booth of sorts can go a long way when it comes to recording these special moments. The great thing is, it’s quite easy to have your pets be a part of this, too.

Set up a Special Dog Section

This section is where the dogs can mingle with other dogs, eat, and do their number ones and twos.  The idea of having the dogs side by side with humans at all times might seem attractive. But, ensuring the pets can be separated from the owners and guests is essential for this kind of event to work.

Final Words

All in all, organizing a dog-friendly wedding is not that difficult. As long as the venue itself is dog-friendly, you’ll be good to go. Add a photo booth and perhaps a couple of dog outfits, and your wedding will likely be a huge success.

Author Bio

Mia Ackerson is a Melbourne-based freelancer who is interested in beauty, gardening, baking, and cooking, interior design, home improvement, business, and technology! You can follow her on Twitter.