Do or Don’t: Dogs in Weddings

Okay, I admit it. I’m totally completely a dog person. I’ve been known to squeal at baby puppies and pretty much any other fuzzy baby creature. My dog and our 2 cats are all adopted from local animal shelters and I can’t help myself when the yearly fundraisers come around. At some point one of my donations resulted in a subscription to Dog Fancy. It’s generally a magazine that I flip through when I receive and then drop into the recycling bin that same day. Recently I stumbled across an informative piece about having dogs in your wedding and thought it would be fun to share.

In the all the weddings I’ve been to and photographed over the years I’ve only seen dogs in two. One was my brother’s wedding and he only invited the more responsible and mature of his two dogs. She was the ring bearer and she did a fabulous job, delivering the rings via heart shaped carabiners on her collar and then napping through the entire ceremony at the bridesmaids feet. It was adorable for their outdoor, nature inspired wedding and went off without a hitch. Below is a picture of Pearl being led down the aisle with the other Ring Bearer. Photo courtesy of John Nimerfroh, JDN photography.

A couple years ago I photographed a wedding at Hudson Gardens in Littleton Colorado with Melissa Rich Photography. where a dog trainer had managed to negotiate her three dog’s attendance at her wedding. One stayed long enough for pictures before he left for a more relaxing environment. The other two were part of the wedding party. One, a Great Pyrenees mix, walked the bride down the aisle! It was very sweet and the dogs were incredibly well behaved.

I think the key in both instances was having a well trained dog(s) and making sure the dog’s stress level was kept low. The dogs did not attend the reception in either case and were sequestered in safe environments where they wouldn’t be subject to dangerous table scraps, loud music or other stress inducing situations. Read the article below if you’re considering incorporating your beloved fuzzy family members in your wedding!