Image by AMB Photo via The Wedding Chicks
Feathers, fur or scales, pets these days are members of the family. Crazy cat ladies, please stand up! Yep, I am standing right now! If you are anything like me, your pets play a very important role in your life. I could honestly not imagine my life without my fur-children. Today it is not uncommon for couples to choose to get married with their furry, feathered or scaled friends right beside them.
Mindy Weiss, quite possibly America’s best-known wedding planner says that “about one third of the weddings I do involve dogs”. So if you are reading this and are considering including your pet in your wedding day activities, here are a few ideas and tips to ensure you and your pet create memories and moments that will last forever!
For the dog lovers…
Dogs can make fabulous ring bearers. Your pooch could walk down the aisle with the rings tied to their collars. To ensure there are no mishaps with the rings, it would be a great idea to tie faux rings to your dog, and ensure the real ones are given to the best man. If your pooch is comfortable playing dress ups, why not coordinate a special outfit – think a mini tuxedo for the boys and a veil for the girls!
For the cat lovers…
This one should be entered into with caution! If your cat is comfortable on a leash, they can be walked down the aisle with you or your bridesmaid/s. Being a cat owner who has experimented with cats on leashes, I would only recommend this option if your cat is trained to walk on a leash. This option should also be avoided if your cat is easily spooked by loud noises and groups of people. If the leash thing simply won’t work, how about creating a customised cake topper of your cats or feature a picture of you and your cats on your wedding invitation. This way your whiskered friends won’t feel left out!
If birds are your thing…
If your birds mean the world to you, why not place them into a decorative cage, placed at the altar. This will not only make for unique wedding pictures, but it will ensure you can see the birds, and they can see you. If you have well trained parrots, they also make wonderful ring bearers. Again if you choose this option, use faux rings.
If scales are your thing…
Snakes and Lizards aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if they are a part of your family and you simply can’t imagine not having them there on your wedding day, how about having a themed tank on display at the altar. If you want to take it one step further, you could have your scaly friends available during your family photos.
With whatever option you choose, it is super important to ensure that you assign either a maid, groomsman or family member who the pet is comfortable with to be responsible for your pet on the day. It is also important to consider your pets feelings in your plans. If your pet is not comfortable at any point during the planning stages, including them may not be the right option. If having your pet taking part in your wedding is clearly not an option, consider including them in a pre-wedding photo shoot.
With a bit of careful planning, you can ensure you capture some special moments of you and your companions that will last forever!
Ms Gingham says: Well, pets can definitely be “babies” in some families so why not include them? Especially when they look as dapper as this little pooch!
Sarah says: “Newly Wed who loves to blog about weddings and food! Loved everything about planning my wedding and honeymoon, and absolutely devastated that it is all over now 
Have the most amazing husband who I love with all my heart, and am so looking forward to the journey life will take us on together now that we are married!”
Read more by Sarah here.
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