10 Ways to Include Your Pet in Your Wedding

Weddings are such exciting events! When you and your special someone are getting married, you want to share the wedding with the whole world! And if you’re a pet parent, then you may even want to consider including your fur baby in the wedding! 

No matter what animal you have, a cavapoo rescue or a Siamese cat, there may be ways you can include your furry best bud in the wedding. However, there may be some things to consider before you plan on adding them to the wedding. For instance, some venues may not allow pets or animals of any type. 

A lot of effort goes into planning a wedding, so be prepared for some extra work when it comes to including your pet in the wedding.

 

Including Your Pet in the Wedding – What to Consider

Before making all the plans to include your fur baby in the ceremony, it’s a good idea to sit down and consider several factors first. 

Here are some questions to answer about including your pet in the celebration: 

• Will the venue allow pets? Can they comfortably and safely accommodate your pet? 
• Is your pet well-socialized? Are they comfortable with other people and animals? Can your fur baby deal with a large crowd or group? 
• Can your pet be included during the reception? 
• Will there be other animals in the wedding or at the venue that could attack or chase your pet? 
• Could you hire a pet sitter for the day? Or do you have a friend who could take care of your pet during the wedding? 
• Will decorations be placed in a location that your pet could reach? If so, could they be moved or placed higher? 
• Can your fur baby be included on the invitations? This would let people who may be allergic to your pet prepare in advance. 

Answering these questions will help you decide whether or not it’s a good idea to include your pet in the wedding. If the venue doesn’t allow pets, then you may need to find a creative way to add your fur baby to the wedding festivities! We’ve got some ideas to get you started!
 

Creative Ideas for Including Your Pet In the Wedding

Here are some creative ideas you can use to include your pets in the wedding! 

During the Ceremony

Pets that are included in the ceremony should be socialized and comfortable with others around. Otherwise, you’ll be setting yourself (and your pet) up for disaster! Here are some ways to include your furry companion in the wedding ceremony. Some wedding planning books are starting to add sections dedicated to pets so take advantage of it! 

1.) Walk Down the Aisle Together
What a great way to share your day by having your fur baby walk down the aisle with you! Chances are your pet has been with you through all the ups and downs and important milestones of the relationship. So, what better way to honor their support? 
 

2.) Act as Ring Bearer
Let your dog be the ring bearer! It may be possible to have a special pillow created to carry fake wedding bands down the aisle, as a ring bearer would. 

Be sure not to let your dog carry the actual wedding rings! Nothing would be worse than your dog seeing a squirrel or getting spooked, and then running off with the rings! 

In fact, it might be a good idea to have your dog on the leash at all times during the ceremony. One of the wedding party, or another friend, could walk down the aisle with your dog. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about your canine friend running off after something. 
 

3.) Create a Unique Processional
Another way to include your pet is to include them as part of the processional. We’ve heard of some couples attaching a GoPro to their dog, and then having the dog follow the wedding party down the aisle. The pictures would be precious, especially as seen from your dog’s perspective. 

Think about it for a moment. The images would be completely different from those taken by a videographer or a photographer. How special to have video as seen through the eyes of your dog, bunny, cat, etc. 

This would probably work best with a dog; however, other pets may be able to handle this job, even if they need a little guidance and a leash. 
 

4.) Ride in on Your Horse

If you’re having an outdoor wedding, then why not consider riding in on your horse? If your horse is your best animal friend, then why not? 

The horse (or animal of your choice) could be decorated with wedding colors and flowers. And they would have a position of honor, too! Plus, what a memory they would create for everyone at the wedding. Not many weddings include horses! This type of entrance could be used by either the groom or the bride. This is the perfect addition to a western- or medieval-themed wedding, for instance. 
 

5.) Stand with You at the Altar

This is another popular way to include pets in your wedding! You may consider allowing your pet to stand with you at the altar during the ceremony. Again, this works best with pets that are comfortable with lots of people and being in a strange place. Your fur baby should be well-socialized, too. 
 

Creative Ways to Include Your Pet Outside the Wedding

What happens if your pet isn’t allowed to participate during the wedding or join you at the reception? That’s where these ideas come into play! You can still include your fur baby, but in ways that are allowed and acceptable!

6.) Include Your Pet in the Engagement or Wedding Photoshoots

Some photographers like to do photoshoots of the bride or the couple together dressed in their wedding finery. Many couples have included their pets in these precious pre-wedding photoshoots. So, why not ask your photographer if this is possible? 

You may even want to consider including your fur baby for engagement photos if this might be a more comfortable option for everyone. If you don’t have a photographer for engagement photos, see if someone in your family or one of your friends might be able to step in and do the honors. 
 

7.) Use Your Fur Baby on the Wedding Cake

This is another creative way to include your pet in the wedding! Consider ordering a pet cake topper. Look for toppers that resemble your pet(s). If you can’t find a commercially created pet cake topper, then consider heading over to Etsy. 

Just do a search to see if you can find sellers who create pet cake toppers. You’ll find a wide variety of styles that can be creatively incorporated in the wedding cake! 
 

8.) Use Photos of Your Pet to Decorate Your Wedding or Reception Venue

Here’s another cute idea! Why not print photos of your fur baby and then use them in the venue decorations? This is a meaningful way to include your pet and show how important they are to you as a couple. 

Consider the use of picture frames on the tables at the reception. You might even have small photos incorporated with aisle decoration at the wedding venue. Just get creative and see what you come up with!
 

9.) Make Your Pet into a Cardboard Cutout

This is a fun way to include your fur baby at the reception! If you can’t include your pet in the wedding ceremony or at the reception, then a cardboard cutout of them is the next best thing! The cutout can be used either during the wedding photos or at the reception. Why not both? 

Make the cardboard cutout life-size, which might be a great option for smaller to medium-sized pets. Or make it a little smaller, in case you have a very large dog or another type of large pet! If you are crafty use a printing pen to draw a 3D version of your pooch. 
 

10.) Incorporate Your Pet in Your Wedding Clothes

What a meaningful way to include your fur baby in the wedding! For brides, you might consider having a likeness of your pet embroidered into the veil or a part of the dress. For grooms, an embroidered pocket hanky can be a very pretty addition to their wedding outfit.
 

 

We hope these ideas will help you find a meaningful, fun way to include your pet in the wedding! 

 

 

 

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