How To Include Your Dog On Your Wedding Day
It is natural to want to spend the big day surrounded by friends and family, and who is more loved than your dog?
These days, the majority of pet owners are millennials, and many couples want to include their dog in the wedding. After all, when you make the commitment to share your life together, you are already doing so with a canine companion.
You can involve your dog in your wedding in a variety of ways, such as by giving him a significant role or by featuring them in photos on your invitations, save-the-date cards, and other wedding-related items.
So, here is how to include your dog on your wedding day!
Why Should You Include Your Dog?
First of all, why should you include your dog on your wedding day?
Simply because they are a huge part of your relationship. Your dog is part of your family and they will be your best friend for life, so they are deserving of being a huge part of your day.
8 Ways To Include Your Dog On Your Wedding Day
Hire a Wedding Day Dog Nanny
Bring Treats For Their Photo
Fun Leash And a Cute Decoration For Their Collars!
Mention Them In The Ceremony
Include Them In Your Stationary
Incorporate Them Into Your Cake
Make a Charity Donation For a Shelter
Walk Down The Aisle!
Hire a Wedding Day Dog Nanny
Hiring a wedding day dog nanny or asking a family friend to look after your dog is a great idea because as soon they have had enough they can take them home.
Your wedding day is bound to be a long day carried out until the early hours of the next day and your dog probably will need some rest!
Bring Treats For Their Photo
If your dog is extremely excitable and you know they will not sit still for long for those family photos, then treats are the best way to bribe them! Be sure to bring their favourite treats, so we can include your dog on your wedding day photos.
Fun Leash And a Cute Decoration For Their Collars!
You and your guests are all glammed up and you may have stuck to a certain theme. Therefore, including your dog in this is essential so they look the part! A great way to do this without going over the top is to find a fun leash that matches your colour scheme or theme.
Or, a cute decoration for their collar is a good idea too! There are so many businesses that offer cute dog wedding collars in the UK.
Mention Them In The Ceremony
If you choose that the best option is to leave your pet at home with someone, then this is a good idea of how to include your dog on your wedding day.
One of the simplest ways to honour your pet is to mention them throughout the ceremony, either in your own vows or by dedicating a dog wedding poem to them. Also, you could put a framed picture on the seat reservation so they can attend in spirit!
Include Them In Your Stationary or Bar!
You can include illustrations of your dog on menus, signs, napkins, or brown paper doggie bags (get it?!) if you're hosting a sweet table. Or name your signature drink after them.
You can also use this same idea if you have cats like this couple did!
Incooperate Them Into Your Cake
Ask your baker to create a cake topper out of icing, or ask an Etsy seller to create one out of clay or wood. There are several cool designs that feature dogs.
Alternatively, having puppy cupcakes is an excellent idea. Even better? Make them edible for dogs! Especially if your guests are bringing their fur friends too!
Make a Charity Donation For a Shelter
This is by far one of my favourite ways to include your dog on your wedding day.
This one is especially sweet if you adopted your pet via a rescue and rehoming organisation, but it's a lovely idea otherwise. Simply give to the charity of your choice in memory of your furry friend, and then come up with a cute way to tell your guests about it.
Walk Down The Aisle!
Why not get your fur friend to walk down the aisle?
This is such a significant way to include your dog on your wedding day, as they could hold a basket full of flower petals or get them a dog wedding ring carrier! It is a great way to involve them in the actual wedding as if they were your child.
Plus, how adorable would those aisle shots look?! Unfortunately I haven’t had the honour of photographing this at a wedding yet, but if you are planning to have your four legged friend walk down the aisle with you please contact me here!
Is Your Dog Wedding Ready?
Now you know how to include your dog on your wedding day, it is time to start planning how you choose to involve them on your day! Make it unique so you create the day you truly envision.
If you want to include your pup but know they wont do well on the day, bring them to your engagement session!
Some of my couple’s favourite way to include their dog without bringing them on the actual wedding day is to bring them along for your engagement session. Which I am ALWAYS up for! Just ask and we will make it happen and choose a location that is dog friendly!
I am a Suffolk and Cambridgeshire wedding photographer, who would absolutely love photographing your dog on your big day. Let’s chat!
