5 Ways to Incorporate Your Dog Into Your Wedding (and avoid a disaster)

Your furry best friend is part of the family. He might have even been your life partner long before your man arrived on the scene. You looked to him to make sure he liked your guy with his keen sense for good people…good news for your guy that he approved! So, it feels only right that he should have a role—or at least attend, sloppy kisses and all—your big day.

Here are five ideas on how to incorporate Lassie into your wedding, and a few bits of advice to avoid potential disasters as well!

5 Roles Your Dog Could Play At Your Wedding

1.      Ring bearer

 Who needs a best man to carry the rings when it’s soooo much cuter when Winston the bulldog carries a ring pillow with your two rings tied with a satin ribbon? Yeah, nothing beats that.

2.      Maid of honour

Speaking of best man and maid of honour, there’s no written rule (at least that we could find) that they have to be human. Have a boy and girl pup? Lucy the poodle and Buddy the Yorkie can stand on both sides next to you and your groom as you say your vows, just as they’ve stood by you through thick and thin before.

3.      Flower child

Now, unless you have Super Dog in your midst, it might be physically challenging for Max the black lab to sprinkle flowers down the aisle before your walk down it. However, if your dog is child-friendly, you could have her carry a lightweight container of flower petals and have your flower girl walk beside her and do the scattering—a sweet ensemble cast.

4.      Greeter extraordinaire

Does Dex the Jack Russell smile and shake or like to do happy twirls for people? Have him greet guests at the after party! Buy him a new collar, with a bow tie attached perhaps, to match your wedding colours so he looks smart.

Also, we haven’t mentioned this yet, but, of course, make sure your dog is well groomed for the special day. No rolling in the mud the night before…

5.      Family guest

Maybe you don’t want to assign Sheba the Shih Tzu any particular role; you just want her there. She can walk down the aisle with your parents or siblings, or be seated with a chosen guest (in the front row, naturally).

Now for some words of advice…

You know your dog better than anyone. You know what makes them happy, their comfort levels in different situations, what freaks them out and if they are barkers, diggers, biters, etc. Even if you desperately want your dog to be part of your wedding day because it’s such a fun and guest-delighting element, you want them to be 100% (not 98 or 99%—100!) comfortable with their job, the crowd, strangers, new objects, children and more. Otherwise, it will detract from the fun part and cause you to worry or be distracted, which is not something you should be concentrating on on your wedding day.

Keeping The Dog & Guests Safe At Your Wedding

Also, though your dog might do very well off-leash, keep him on a leash for your wedding. There might be a guest or a child who is scared of dogs, or there might be something too tempting for pooch to resist, such as climbing up to get a lick of your wedding cake! Stay safe and keep him leashed. That said, there should be a few people designated to hold the leash and give him water, and also someone who puts him in the house or takes him home (if your venue is not a good place for him to stay alone) at a certain point so that everyone can enjoy the party without having dog duty.

Note: These helpful friends and family members should also have plastic bags on hand to scoop up you know what…it’s going to happen, and you don’t want a guest to step in it! And with that thought, we leave you.

Set your heart on the notion of incorporating your dog or cat into the wedding? Bride & Groom Direct would like to wish you the best of luck and hope you get some adorable pictures. However, prior to the big day make sure you read our helpful guide on bringing your pet to a wedding.

Did you incorporate your pet into your wedding?Dog, cat, parakeet, llama—let us know and share a pic on our Facebook!