The Dog Days Of Weddings

So here you are about to share your life with your one and only, “As long as you both shall live” and yet, as a dog lover, well your already in a lifelong relationship! It’s only natural you want your beloved furry child to be in attendance on your special day!

Here are some helpful tips to help prepare you for having your dog in attendance at your wedding!

Have realistic expectations of your dog’s behavior!

Of course your wedding day is all about you: Every single need, want & desire should be fulfilled no questions asked! Except maybe your pooch might have a different agenda! Don’t set your dog up for perfection when it’s only natural for them to have their nose where it doesn’t always belong. Make sure your furry bundle of joy is a crowd pleaser and loves socialization.

Ensuring your Venue is Pet Friendly

Ensuring the venue of choosing is pet friendly is top priority! The Venue & The Ridge in the Asheville area are absolutely doggie approved and welcoming  as long as they come with a happy tail and slobbery kisses!

Including your dog in your photos

From your wedding invitations to pre & post ceremony, your dog can certainly help make life long lasting impressions with your photography. When inquiring , make sure to ask the photographer about their experience with animals as we always need to make sure vendor selections are a perfect fit!

Planning the Processional

Don’t forget to include your four legged beauty in the processional order. Ideas such as a ring bearer, escort or even walking down the aisle with the bride are all fantastic ideas to incorporate into your wedding ceremony. To make it even more interesting you could tie a Go-Pro around your pooch to get a one of a kind video.

Having your florist make a greenery collar or even wrapping the leash in greenery will also make for squeals from your wedding guests! This is also 100% Instagram worthy. 

Have a Wedding Day Handler

Let’s break it down here: The Bride has a Maid of Honor and the Groom has a Best Man; so it’s only natural for your pup to have the same kind of backup for your wedding day! Hiring a trusted dog handler is one fantastic way to making sure that everything will be completely taken care of! Wedding Planners have every single vendor imaginable on speed dial so take full advantage of it! Keeping your dog calm, engaged, exercised and properly focused for the special moments are all necessities!

The Planning has a personal favorite: Ivory Hound Weddings which  was founded on a dream: that including pets in a wedding would not only be easy, simple, and doable… but fun and stress-free for all parties involved. IHW makes including your furry family an enjoyable experience for everybody involved! (Including them!)

Embrace the Chaos!

Always remember, nothing ever goes according to plan! Just embrace the chaos of whatever happens, happens! The pooch deserves the most grace when it comes to surprises and you’re always going to remember this day!