Dogs are honored members of our families, so we always want to include them in important life events, like weddings.
People have come up with all kinds of creative ways to make dogs a feature of their nuptials. Sometimes the pups even outshine the brides and grooms on their big days!
If you’re wondering how you can get canines involved in your marriage celebration, check out how these people let their weddings go to the dogs.
1. Pre-Wedding Dog Walk
If you’re not too concerned about the superstition that you shouldn’t see your spouse-to-be on the morning of your wedding, then maybe you two can squeeze in a dog parade before you tie the knot.
Matt and Mara Dudley did just that on their big day, attending the first annual DoG Street Strut, organized as a fundraiser for Heritage Humane Society. The dog-loving couple invited 15 of their wedding guests to the event, too.
Event organizers were thankful that the Dudleys chose to share their special day for a good cause. They even called the couple on stage and congratulated them during the fundraiser.
Matt and Mara had two dogs of their own who weren’t able to attend the main event. So it’s good to see that these two were still able to share their wedding with canines in need.
A few hours later, they were husband and wife.
2. Canine Photo Bomber
A lot of people include their dogs in their engagement or wedding photo shoot. That’s what Megan Determan and Chris Kluthe decided to do on a nice, fall day with their pup, Louie.
They didn’t have a lot of good photos of Louie, so this was an opportunity to capture memories together. Louie, however, was way to excited about all the fallen leaves to slow down for pictures.
The adorable pup ran and jumped through the leaves, photobombing the couple in hilarious ways. Rather than being upset, Louie’s humans were thrilled and shared the photos online, where they went viral.
Now they have the photos hanging in their home, and they’re some of the best pictures they have of their silly pooch. They definitely captured some good memories that day.
3. The Dog Videographer
The Burnettes decided to elope in a quiet ceremony in the woods on a mountain where they had their first date ten years earlier. The snowy scene looked absolutely beautiful. And of course, they needed a videographer who could capture the event and handle the cold weather.
The perfect choice was their Siberian Husky, Ryder, who wore a camera on his back and caught the big day spectacularly.
Ryder watched the bride’s preparations on the happy morning, and after an excited run through the woods, the pup videoed the moment his humans became husband and wife, and then he mingled with friends and family at the reception.
He was very professional and extra adorable.
4. The Ring Bearer
Plenty of couples have their dog act as ring bearer at their wedding ceremonies, but few look as cute and handsome as Alfie the Yorkshire Terrier in his suit and bow tie.
The seven-year-old pup was very important and special to his humans, Sheree Atcheson and Sean McCrory, so they knew they had to include him in their big day.
Alfie performed his job as ring bearer expertly and walked down the aisle without getting distracted. While the bride looked beautiful, it’s pretty clear that Alfie was a big star that day too.
5. The Flower Girl
Norah the Golden Retriever is a big part of her humans’ lives and was even there for the proposal and the moment her humans got engaged. Briana and Kevin Schaefer knew they had to include her in their wedding, too, so they gave her the job of being the flower girl.
Norah looked gorgeous with flowers around her neck and was well-behaved for the wedding, which is good considering Norah is a trained therapy dog.
She wasn’t the only dog included in the wedding, however, as one of the bridesmaids attached a picture of Briana’s former dog who had passed away to the bouquet. I’m crying just thinking about it.
6. Helping Dogs In Need
When NFL player Logan Ryan married his wife, Ashley Bragg, there wasn’t much that the couple needed that they didn’t already have. They only things missing from their destination wedding on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia were their dogs, Nala and Leonardo, who couldn’t come with on the trip.
The couple still wanted to include dogs in their wedding somehow, and that’s when they met a stray pup on the island. They took it as a sign that they should help stray dogs, so they asked their wedding guests to donate to an animal rescue group that helps stray dogs instead of bringing gifts.
What a great way to help dogs on their big day!
7. There For You, Always
Dogs are our lifelong friends, and they’re with us until the very end. Charlie the Labrador had been with his human, Kelly O’Connell, for 14 years. Shortly before her wedding, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Even though he was terminally ill, the pup held out for Kelly’s special day and even walked down the aisle. He wasn’t physically strong enough to walk back down the aisle after the ceremony, though, so one of the bridesmaids scooped up and carried all 80 pounds of Charlie the rest of the way.
Charlie passed away a few days later, but he was there for his human on her important day.
8. Wedding Crashers Welcome
Marília and Matheus Pieroni from Brazil had their wedding in a tent on a rainy day, and an unexpected guest decided to come in out of the weather and enjoy the ceremony.
A stray dog wandered in off the street and lied down on the bride’s long wedding veil. The bride was happy to have the unexpected guest, and the newlyweds decided to adopt the dog at the end of the night. But they couldn’t find the pup anywhere.
After looking for the mystery pup for a week, they finally reunited with him. They took him home and named him Snoop. Now he’s a member of the family too.
9. The Wedding Sitter
When Veronica Silva had her wedding day, her pup, JakeBear, was happy to attend. After the wedding, however, Veronica didn’t want to inconvenience her guests by asking them to leave cocktail hour and bring JakeBear home.
The conundrum led her to create Pawfect For You, a dog sitting company that specializes in watching pups while their humans get married.
The company offers transport, bathing, pet-sitting, and an overnight stay for pets whose parents want to include their fur babies on their special day without having to worry about them during the ceremony and reception. It’s a great idea if any of these stories have inspired to include dogs in your wedding.
What other fun ways have people included dogs in their weddings? Did your pups attend your big day? Let us know in the comments below!
