Your wedding day is all about celebrating you and your family, including your dog! Our pets are truly part of our family, so what better way to honor them than include them on your wedding day? Whether your dog can be there in person or there in spirit, there are so many fun ways to incorporate your favorite pup. Today, I want to share some of my favorite real-wedding couples to inspire your perfect wedding day. From cake toppers to in-person dog duties, these are my top 10 ways to include your dog on your wedding day!

A Pup Attendant

Having your dog on your wedding day depends on many variables, like if the venue allows it and if your pet would be comfortable there. But, if you do decide to bring them, make sure to have a pet attendant on hand! You both are going to be so busy on your wedding day. Hire a pet attendant who will be there for the moments you want your pup for. They can make sure your dog, or dogs, are hydrated, happy, and taken care of! An attendant can also help during portraits. They can direct the pup during the portraits with some treats, and grab their attention. This makes portraits even more effortless! And after your portraits or ceremony, they can then bring them back home. I have worked with The Pet Gal, and highly recommend them!

Ring Bearer

If you can have your dog at the wedding and have a pet attendant on hand, have them be part of your wedding ceremony! Enlisting your dog to walk down the aisle with you or with a bridal party member is always such a fun experience and a crowd-pleaser. Even if your dog is well trained, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming at the ceremony, so I always suggest keeping them on a leash just in case. We can take them off the leash later for portraits! And, of course, they can be dressed up to the nines for the event. Ashley and Daniel got a suit for their pup, Ollie, while Danielle and Eric chose to have theirs wear flower crowns.

Cake Topper

My favorite cake toppers have a meaning. So I love when couples top their cakes with their pets! You can get a cute cake topper that looks great in photos and a keepsake that you can display at home after the wedding.

Dog Cake

If you want your dog to take center stage, have a custom cake made of them! You can have this as your main cake or a second cake. Madison and Marshall had a cake made of their beagle on his favorite bed, with the Texas A&M seal to play a tribute to where they went to college.

Dance Props

If your dog can’t be there on the day, why not have him there for the party in spirit? You can have lifesized cutouts made of your pup, which make for fun dance props. Even the band can get involved like Blind Date did for Madison and Marshall. Bonus points if you have a Photo Booth since they also make for fun photo booth props!

Pins or Pocket Squares

If your dog can’t be there on your big day, you can still have them walk down the aisle with you! Have your dog printed on a pocket square, or get a custom pin made. Daniel wore a custom pin of their dog so that they were with them the whole day, and it added a cute accent to his suit. Another fun idea is cufflinks. You can have custom cufflinks made to wear to other events after the wedding.

Napkins

Cocktail napkins don’t have to just be plain white – you can feature your dog on them! Audrey and Andrew chose to have a simple outline in their wedding colors on their napkins, which guests adored. Another option is to have them printed in gold foil, as Ashley and Daniel did! You can also have a photo or painting of your pet printed on napkins for a more life-like appearance.

Signature Cocktails And Signs

A fun addition to having custom napkins is having custom drinks to go with them! You can name your drinks after your pets and even have them featured on the sign. If you have multiple pets, create a drink for each, with a sweet painting of them on your signs. These are something you can also frame after your wedding so that you can enjoy them for years to come.

Acrylic Drink Stirrers

Embellish your drinks (or your signature drink named after your pet!) with a dog-inspired drink stirrer. You can get metallic ones, solid-colored outlines, or watercolor ones! The options are endless.

Koozies

Koozies make great wedding favors, so why not include your dog in the gift! You can have your pup printed on fun drink koozies with your wedding date on them so guests can never forget their fun at your wedding. They are great gifts since you know they will be used again and again!

10 Ways To Include Your Dog On Your Wedding Day

As you see, there are so many fun ways to include your dog on your wedding day! And, of course, your cat or other pets can be included in so many ways as well. As a wedding photographer, I love photographing all these cute details! It is always fun to see how couples customize their affair to be uniquely them. If you are planning a wedding here in Austin or anywhere in the world, I would love to hear from you! I am a pet lover and would love to capture it all. Reach out today!