How to Incorporate Pets Into Your Wedding Day

On your wedding day you want to make sure all of the special people in your life are present to share the love and celebrate the beginning of a new chapter. You may have guessed it by now, but we don't just mean humans! We understand pet lovers because we love animals, too! That's why when it comes to your big day we LOVE the idea of bringing along your furry friends. 

Whether you have dogs, cats, or any other animals, there are many adorable ways to incorporate them into your big day. We are here to share some tips and tricks on different ways to include them in your celebration.

Make sure to contact your wedding venue to confirm that pets are allowed on the property before making pet plans!

Involve Your Pet in Your Ceremony 

There are many parts of your wedding ceremony that your pet can be involved in. Here are a few different ideas for how they can make their grand entrance. 

Ring Bearer

Having your pooch be the ring bearer is beyond adorable and is an easy task that most dogs can handle. All you have to do is put them in a festive bow tie or flower crown, make a sign to hang with the rings attached that says "ring bearer", and have a groomsman or bridesmaid escort them down the aisle. 

Flower Girl Escort

In most wedding processionals the flower girl precedes the bride alone, however having your pet be her escort is far too cute for us to handle. If your pet gets a little excited around crowds, make sure you have a short leash. For extra cute pictures, wrap flowers around the leash and use a floral collar. 

Bouquet Replacement: 

If you have a beloved pet that is small enough to fit in a basket, carrying your furry friend instead of a bouquet is a very unique idea. You can decorate a basket with flowers all around, put your pet inside, and hold the basket as you walk down the aisle. That way, your pet will be by your side down the aisle as well as be in most of your ceremony pictures! 

Include Your Pet In Your Wedding Photos

This is probably the easiest way to incorporate your pet into your wedding because they are most likely used to the millions of pictures and videos you take of them. There are tons of photo ops you can choose to include them in!

Engagement Photos 

Check out some engagement photo ideas and you will see that there are a ton of creative ways to have your pet be involved. This adds an adorable personal touch to the photos. These pictures can become family photos instead of just you and your future partner posing for the camera. We love the popular creative shot of a dog holding a sign saying "My humans are getting married". 

Wedding Party Photos 

If your pet is allowed on the property but is too shy to walk down the aisle, you can bring them to the venue to take photos with your wedding party. You can't forget to make them an adorable flower crown like the ones pictured. We are OBSESSED.

Honor Your Pet with Your Theme 

If your venue won’t allow your fur baby on-site, you can still include small details honoring your pet during or after your ceremony. 

• Wedding Cake - Buy a cake topper or small figurine that includes you, your significant other, and your pet! 

• Drinks - Why not name each of your signature drinks after your pets? This works particularly well if you have several animals who can’t be there on your special day.

• Invitations - Give your guests a sneak peek of your wedding by including your pet in your wedding invitations. You can use photos from your engagement or an elegant illustration to decorate your invitations. 

• Table Signs - Put photos of your pets on your table number signs, or if you have a small wedding and several pets, name each table after each of your animals. These cute photos can also serve as wedding decor.

**Extra Tip: Hire a pet sitter for your ceremony or however long your pet will be joining you. Preferably have someone who your pet is familiar with so you can relax and not be worried about what they are doing. It will be worth it so your family members do not feel obligated to look after them and miss important parts of your special day! 

If you are ready to start wedding planning, make sure you find the perfect wedding dress. Locate a Val Stefani authorized retailer to help you find the perfect gown for your pet-friendly wedding.