When you think of furry wedding guests, you may not know how to include them in the wedding ceremony.
Your dogs deserve prime spots on the big day! If you don’t know how to include them in your celebration, here are some ideas.
On many occasions, you have seen them since they were puppies, you have spent entire afternoons playing or cleaning up their mess, and you know them perfectly well.
Go ahead and celebrate a pet-friendly wedding and share this special day with these family members.
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Get ready for a celebration with pets, you just have to take these factors into account.
1. Can dogs participate in the wedding?
Yes, dogs can participate in the wedding.
If you want to include your furry ones in the wedding, you can assign them a special task.
Pets are very popular in photography sessions, as they convey the personality of the bride and groom and add a tender and fun touch to the images.
Dogs dressed for a wedding always look great, and the options to customize their outfits are endless, since they can range from imitating bridal outfits to wearing highly stylized accessories with sophisticated patterns and colors.
These guests can also fill roles as bearers of flowers, arras, or other elements of the ceremony: dogs wearing wedding rings frequently appear in viral photos and videos for their tenderness and commitment to fulfill their obligation if given positive training.
They can also accompany the bride and groom during the civil ceremony and, if they have practice, they can escort the VIP guests to their seats.
If they have any special skills, they will be able to share them with everyone present after the ceremony.
2. Rules of behavior
The more furries you invite, the more likely they are to distract guests, so count on your fingers how many pet passes you’ll be handing out, unless your celebration is in a very large space or it’s a very intimate wedding.
Appoint a sitter who knows your puppy or female dog well so they can take over if something gets out of hand.
In this way, you will be sure that they will be safe and well cared for at all times.
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3. Pet-friendly conditions at the wedding
Before anything else, you need to make sure that the venue accepts animals and that it has adequate space for the dogs and any other invited pets.
Not only should there be ventilation and preferably, trees or vegetation, but it should be fenced off, so that no pet can escape.
It must also have protection against wet and cold weather.
You will be busy with the wedding activities and won’t have time to look after them.
So you should hire a professional to look after.
A professional coach or team should make sure they don’t lack anything, that they feel comfortable, that their space is clean, that they don’t bother guests and that there are no fights between them.
Consider that some pets can get overwhelmed by so many people, as well as if they are not active or feel confined and bored.
Therefore, providing them with interactive toys, hiding prizes and planning some activities will help them calm down and enjoy the day.
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4. Safety first
Before organizing a pet-friendly wedding, choose appropriate conditions for the pets.
Lights, music and noise from people can scare some pets.
While rain, heat and fireworks can seriously affect their health.
High-strung pets can respond violently to these situations, so they can be a danger to themselves and guests (yes, even the smallest “do-nothing” pooches).
At your venue, both you and your furry ones must comply with the established rules: if your puppies damage or mistreat the furniture, they may have problems with their suppliers.
In addition, you should know that some guests may be allergic, or that some pets may have medical conditions, such as an allergy to the wedding flowers.
To avoid accidents, consider all these aspects and, if there are children who do not live with them regularly, try to keep them away.
5. Invitations for weddings with dogs
In addition to including photos and illustrations on your dog wedding invitations, you’ll need to specify everything you need to let your human guests know about the wedding.
From what precautions they will need to take if they bring their pets to the wedding and the products that will be available to them.
Even if only the couple’s pets will be present at the wedding, it’s a good idea to let the other guests know about it.
Do not hesitate to communicate through your invitations or social networks that there will be pets present at the wedding, so that they can prepare and be as comfortable as possible with them.
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6. Menu for dogs at the wedding
The invited pets must also be pampered with a special menu for them.
Each pet has a particular diet, so you should choose hypoallergenic and universal ingredients.
You can hire an exclusive service or buy different prizes and snacks.
This can also be a critical point in your organization, as some dogs can be aggressive around their eating areas, so each one must have enough space and everything must be served at the same time.
7. Preparation for the wedding
If you want to guarantee the success of your pet-friendly wedding, only invite pets that are very close to you and whose temperaments you know perfectly well.
Make sure all your guests are comfortable: they may not be able to go out dancing on the dance floor because of the pets.
But you may be able to create a miniature version of your cake for them or even a souvenir to take home with them.
Your pets should be fully vaccinated and preferably have basic training to know which areas to stay in and which positions to stay in for as long as possible.
You can have a groomsman dog carry the rings, do tricks, walk the couple down the aisle, and announce the entrance to the wedding.
For everything to be a success, start training the pet early, so that you can enjoy it and do it with patience: that’s the key!
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Conclusion
Your pet-friendly wedding is the best opportunity to enjoy nature.
Don’t forget to ask your photographer to capture your pets playing with their toys.
A ball with the bride and groom’s initials could be the new favorite toy for these very special guests.