Pets at Your Wedding

You have a four legged guest!  Pets are members of so many families and it is not uncommon to want your fuzzy friend to be part of your wedding.  While people have a lot of ideas for their pets at weddings (it isn’t just dogs, alpacas are pets too!) There are a few things you should keep in mind. 

1. Is your pet part of the ceremony? If so, make sure you check with the place of worship or the venue where your ceremony is taking place.  Some places are super cool. Others will look at you like you have four heads and asked to have some sort of pagan ritual.  If you are outside, there usually isn’t an issue BUT, if you have a rain plan that is inside, make sure you are still good to go.
2. How long do you want them there?  If it is just for ceremony and pictures, make sure you have the pet handler there to take them home.  If the handler is someone at the wedding, make sure that person isn’t one to indulge in the booze too hard in the parking lot before the ceremony.  (I have been part of a wedding where there was a dog wandering around the venue because nobody knew who was supposed to be in charge of the dog)  The last thing you need is to be worrying about pet arrangements when you should be doing the Electric Slide (I’m kidding, it would be The YMCA).  If the pet will be there all night, make sure you have a quiet place for them to hang out with some water and food.  Preferably a place where they can’t destroy a room. 
3. If the pet is part of the ceremony - ask yourself this question, “Do I trust an animal that descended from wolves to be in a new environment with lots of strangers to not flip out?” 
4. Do you have any guests with a severe allergy (listen, allergies are going to be a part of your wedding - it’s just the reality)?  Nothing screams “Best day of our life” life aunt Edna urgently searching for an epi pen while she struggles to breath because your St. Bernard got a dollop of drool on her. 
5. Some people have a phobia of certain animals.  For example, if you plan on having your pet snake slither around the reception, just know there might be a few guests who are terrified of snakes and may leave. Just laugh at it and go on with your day. 
6. I’ll leave you with this one - I was at a wedding as a guest where one of the flower girls LOVED pigs.  Her favorite animal.  The bride had taken her to petting zoos, bought her pig stuffed animals - this little girl was obsessed with pigs.  Favorite movie - Babe.  You will never guess what animal was lying on a slab, crispy skin, an apple in the mouth, meat being sliced from the carcass at cocktail hour.  Yup, that little girl had what could be described as a life altering melt down (there will certainly be a few dozen therapy sessions and probably a handful of bad relationships in her future).  So just keep the whole, scarring little kids with dead animals at your wedding in mind. 
7. Avoid having your pet have control of the ring.  While I have never seen an animal lose a ring, I don't think you want to tempt fate.

Bring a pee pad, a lint roller, and make sure you have a cool venue that will let you have your best fur buddy at the wedding. 

Cheers!