1. Get Ready With Them
Needing a dressing assistant, Vivian and Garrett opted to get ready with their corgi Coco together at Luly Yang Bridal Couture. The three of them enjoyed an intimate moment as a family before heading around the city for photos and a courthouse ceremony. This is also a great option for pets that are more skittish around crowds.
Paul Porter Photography featured in Washington Wedding Day
Paul Porter Photography featured in Washington Wedding Day
2. Have a Picture-Perfect Moment with Pets Before Your Wedding
Charmaine and Andrew posed for pictures with a glamorous crew of groomsmen and their two adorable pups. It's effortlessly cool and presents a much less overwhelming way to bring your pet into the day than on-site during the event. It's also an adorable idea to have a first look with your pet, and a photo session just with your partner and animals, which make sure some of the most adorable and authentic pics.
Carrie Mcguire Photo featured in California Wedding Day
3. Feature Your Pets in the Wedding Favors
There are so many fun ways to show your love for animals during your wedding day, but personalizing your favors or late-night snacks to feature your pet are timelessly adorable. We've seen couples create stickers, beer cozies and beyond, but our favorite is when couples opt to have human and animal favors - perhaps a small bag of dog treats for your guests to take home to their furry friends.
4. Have Your Fur Friends Tend Bar
Jamie and Lindsey wed in Arizona and while their pets couldn't be there on the big day, they used their dogs as inspiration for a cocktail menu featuring hand-drawn interpretations of them. While weddings can be dog-friendly, this is also a great way to show off your pets (like cats and more) who might not have the opportunity to make it on-site. Other cocktail-related ideas we love are custom drink stirrers, beer cozies and cocktail napkins with adorable hand-drawn interpretations of your pet.
Kevyn Bruce Photography featured in Arizona Bride
Rachel Bigej featured in Minnesota Bride
5. Give Them a Walk Down the Aisle
If there's one thing that never grows old, it's seeing animals run to greet their owners at the altar. If your animal is up for the task, a four-legged ring bearer is something the sweetest addition and many stylish options exist now to personalize a ring box attached to your dog's collar. We've also seen some adorable takes on a walk down the aisle that have senior dogs in cars and all sorts of unique ideas.
6. Let Them Eat Cake
The cake topper is one of the most classic ways couple's have been bringing their dogs, cats and beyond to their receptions. Opting for a custom creation that showcases your family in the way you want is an adorable nod to your pet. The Indigo Bride captured the below shot, which is an adorable take on the concept that has our pup yearning for a taste.
7. Let Your Pets Inspire the Details
Sophie and Ben literally couldn't resist getting their new puppy two weeks before their wedding. While she couldn't attend the wedding, the couple featured their new dog in elegant frames and used her as a basis for fun facts and signage that made us chuckle. Even just a little sneak peek of your pet's appearance in photos can be a fun addition - the Indigo Bride captured this stylish invitation suite complete with a furry accessory.
Jess Living Photo featured in Wisconsin Bride
8. Encourage Guests to Donate to a Charitable Cause
One of the most admirable ways to showcase your pet is to help raise money for a cause related to their species or animals in general. For owners of rescues, this is a great option to help spread the word about organizations that have dogs for adoption and potentially raise some funding.
9. Get a Custom Cut Out Made
This idea works particularly well if you're opting for a photo booth option, where guests can use cutouts of your animals as props. Lots of couples recently have been opting to blow up images of their pets' heads or go with a life-size cutout for a piece of darling décor. This is an amazing way to make sure your pet doesn't go unnoticed - people are sure to take note of these.
10. Opt for a More Subtle Take
While many of these ideas are big and bold, there are a ton of more subtle ways to incorporate your pet into the big day. One idea we love is featuring them in a guest book, whether it's a picture of them or the sound of their bark in the back if you opt for the undeniably trendy audio guestbook. We've also seen couples honor animals that are no longer with them with cute details like adding their dog tag into the bride's bouquet.
