Dogs In Our Wedding

When did we start including our pets in our weddings? I can’t find a definite date, but got as far back as 2011 when I saw the first article on a paw-sitively pet-friendly wedding.

Of course, the leading celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss led the charge, when her clients decided to include their pets in the wedding because they first met, where else, at a dog park. The next year, headlined “Dogs get “married” in record-breaking $158k wedding”, and I think we’ve opened the floodgates on having Fido and Fifi in the biggest event in our lives.

And why not? They’re members of the family, they’re our furbabies, they’re our emotional support, and honestly, sometimes, we think about them more than we think of our partners.

So the boom on pet-friendly wedding industry was born – from tuxes to tiaras to glittery gowns, nothing is off limits. Except perhaps for wedding venues, where brides and wedding planners would need to check on pet guidelines. Some pets get anxious when there’s a crowd, and might get some trepidation. And then there’s the risk of, do they bite, or are they aggressive? And how would other people react? There’s definitely some discussion that would need to take place beforehand.

We’re not talking about cats who might get up on the food table and start licking them. Or iguanas. Or other reptiles and other kinds of pets that people might take as emotional support in airports and airplanes. I am talking only of more people-friendly and people-pleaser dogs.

I know there’s still a risk. There’s a risk on everything. But if you’re worried on having them at the wedding, maybe have them at the engagement session. It’s different on having them there for the engagement photos, where there’s more control. Most likely it would just be the photographer and assistants, bride and groom, makeup artists, etc. A much smaller crowd than in a wedding.

No matter when and where, it would always be worth it to check to have your best friend there. After all, they have been there for you through thick and thin. And how can you resist those eyes?