Wedding Receptions

How to Involve Pets in Your Wedding Day

Ring bearer or flower girl

This is possibly the sweetest way to get them involved, but you must be prepared to share the limelight. Dress your pet (this would work best with a dog) in a cute bow tie and allow him to walk down the aisle with a fake ring attached to his collar, leaving the best man with the real ones, or with a cute (and safe) floral wreath for a flower girl. If your dog is trained and obedient, this could be a breeze for your pet and a real show-shopper for your wedding.

Involve them in the formal photos

Not all ceremony and reception venues permit the presence of pets on location, but that doesn’t mean all options are out. Arrange for a trusted friend or family member to bring your pet to the location of your formal photos, ideally after the ceremony and before making your way to the venue, when the three of you can get a moment alone. This way, you’ll manage to share a moment with your pet on a special day for all of you, and have your pet immortalised in your wedding album too.

Cute cake topper

If they can’t be there with you in the flesh, have them there in spirit with a cute cake topper that you can keep even after the wedding feast is over. You’ll find lots of shops that can customise a cake topper for you to include your four-legged friend, and which reflects one of your shared loves as a couple.

Part of the wedding prep

Most brides and grooms get ready at their own or their parents’ homes, making it easy to involve pets in the ‘getting ready’ phase of wedding preparations. Give the photographer free reign to come up with ways to capture some cute snaps of the pet waiting around while the bride gets her hair and make-up done, or with the groom while he patiently hangs out with his best men before the start of the ceremony.

Let them escort you down the aisle

This requires one brave bride, but if you think your pet is up to the task and can pull off walking you down the aisle, it will certainly be a wedding to remember. Your honorary guest could even lay by your feet while you exchange vows, and share in your first dance as a married couple later in the evening. 

Whatever option you decide to go for, recruit someone you trust to handle your pet in case they need to be walked, fed or given due attention. Just like any other guests, pets are likely to get tired from all the excitement, and you wouldn’t want this special appearance to turn ugly.