I DO! How to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding Ceremony

Your wedding day is one of the most memorable days of your life. You want all your friends and family – the most important people in your life – to be there. For many of us, this includes our four-legged family members, too!

A new trend in wedding ceremonies includes the family dog participating in the event. So, whether he walks the bride down the aisle or carries the happy couple’s rings, including your dog in the wedding ceremony will require a bit of planning.

We found these great tips from the community at Ashworth College:

1. Train your dog – Whether it means walking down the aisle or wearing a bowtie, you will need to help him to practice his skills.  If your dog is a new puppy, expecting them to sit calmly during the ceremony may not be the best idea.
2. Pick a venue – When choosing a venue, you need to make sure they allow dogs.  This may limit your choices or exclude your first choice, so you’ll need to decide what’s the most important.
3. Get Your Dog a Helper – Designate someone to be responsible for the care and behavior of your pet during the ceremony.  This can be a bridesmaid who will walk her down the aisle (like in the movie He’s Just Not That Into You) or another wedding guest who will keep the dog sitting nicely amongst the guests.
4. A Picture Says a Thousand Words – Do you have a young dog that isn’t ready for the pressure of a wedding?  How about a dream venue that won’t allow him to be in it?  If you want to have your pet be part of your special day without having him in the ceremony, have him be in the pictures for your save the dates or thank you cards.  This way everyone can still see how cute he is without him being in the wedding.

Not sure how to incorporate your best furry friend in your wedding? Maybe you can just have him around for emergencies, like the dapper Pug in this video. When one flustered groom forgot the wedding bands, his best friend came to the rescue!

To many of us, our dogs are such an important part of our lives. To celebrate such a life-changing event without our furbabies there to share in the love just wouldn’t seem right!

Would you (or did you) include your dog in your wedding ceremony? Share your stories with us!