Dog Friendly Wedding Ideas

Are you an animal lover and can’t imagine celebrating your magically day without your furry friend at your side? Who ever said that your best man and/or maid of honor had to be human? Our dogs aren’t just pets, but family. They comfort us in times of need, are protectors, loving, and always have our back. So I understand why you wouldn’t want to celebrate your wedding day without your best friend.

Now a days, weddings can be however you choose for them to be. Sure, having dogs at your wedding is considered non traditional; however, styles are constantly changing and overall, this is you and your fiances wedding.  If the both of you love your dog with all your heart and can’t bear to have your wedding without him, then by all means let your dog be at the wedding! There are lot’s of couples that decide to do this risky move, but there has never been a time where I have heard it going south. Sometimes older guests have a harder time of accepting the idea, but once they see your dog in a cute bow tie and ready for the days celebration, your dogs cuteness clouds previous judgment from others.

One Dog or Two?

Something to think about when considering having your dog in the wedding is whether or not you want your guests to bring their dogs as well. It’s always cute to have your dog be present during the ceremony, however, what’s next? I used to have a pup named Prince. He was very loyal, a good listen and craved attention. I loved him to death, but I have to admit that it was bothersome when I had to get things done and he was always in the way. Not only that, but he loved to wander off. Normally I didn’t mind because he would always come when I called his name. But whenever we were in a crowd, it worried me because he wasn’t used to being around many people. Consider your dogs personality when deciding what to do with him and the wedding. Would you only want him during the ceremony and pictures, or would you like him to be with you all night? Another thing to consider is would your dog be okay the whole night, or would he need friends to play with?

Allowing Dogs at The Wedding

Having your guests bring their dogs to the wedding can be a fun little experience. Not only would you be marrying the love of your life and having a blast, but your dog would also have fun making new friends. Before making this decision, think about where your wedding is going to be held. If you’re planning on having an elegant wedding in an indoor location, then maybe pets aren’t the best choice. But if you decide to have a lay back, outdoor wedding with lots of space, then it may be a better idea.

Fun Ideas For Cocktail Hour!

After the ceremony, normally guests move on to cocktail hour where they start to get drinks and finger foods before the dinner. Something cute you can do is offer dog friendly treats during this time. One idea would be to have personalized dog treats with you and your husbands name on them.

Wedding Favor Ideas

One of the easiest and most usable ideas for a dog wedding is a Frisbee! You can easily have you and your husbands name and wedding date printed onto the frisbee and it would perfectly represent the theme you were going for.

Need Help Deciding?

A family friend of mine actually had a dog accepted wedding not to long ago. It was located at a park with an enclosed dog park nearby. Many guests brought their dogs to the wedding, and it was cute because she asked for guests to bring their dogs in their “best clothes.” People brought their dogs in bow ties, studded collars, ribbons and even hats! Once arriving at the wedding, guests dropped their dogs off at the dog park area, where they were greeted by a hired dog sitter for the day. At the end of the wedding when guests went back to retrieve their dogs, there was a basket full of wedding favors for the dogs! She had toys and bows in the colors of her wedding, personalized dog treat bags and frisbees with her and her husbands name and wedding date printed onto them.

There are many ways as to how to approach handling dogs at your wedding, but this was an example of how our family friend successfully pulled off a dog friendly wedding! So what did you decide? Is your wedding going to be something to bark about?

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