Weddings are designed for a couple’s family and friends to come together to celebrate their nuptials. A wedding party is often made up of siblings and close friends of the couple. Other family members may be part of the ceremony. For example, an ordained parent or elder may act as an officiant. It’s also not uncommon for one of the celebrants to be given away by parents or other older relatives. For many engaged couples, it’s a dream to have their four-legged or furry child be a part of the festivities. After all, those fur babies are family too. Here are some ideas for making that dream a reality.
Inviting Your Pet
Involving pets in the wedding may be doable if the answers to the following questions are in the affirmative:
- Are the wedding/reception venues pet-friendly?
- Are the venues close to where your pet is staying?
- Is there someone who can look after the animal at all times, be it a paid sitter or other wedding guest?
- Is the pet comfortable being in strange environments?
- Is it comfortable around strangers?
- Will your pet make any of your guests uncomfortable, especially those with allergies?
- Are there any decorative items that pose a hazard for your pet?
If you can answer “yes” to these questions, consider having your fur babies attend the celebration as guests. The especially well-trained animal may be a part of a wedding party as a four-legged bridesmaid, groomsman, ring bearer or flower girl. If you know your pet might not be up to all this, you may just consider having a sitter bring it by for a time during the marriage ceremony or the reception.
Featuring Your Pet
Whether you involve your pets in the festivities or not, you can always feature pictures of them in your wedding invitations, a website, thank-you cards and favors, etc. Consider mentioning the name of your pets in the wedding program as a part of your family. Pets take some of the most adorable pictures that can easily be featured in a variety of ways. Illustrations of your cute animals can be worked into save-the-date invites, wedding stationery and even the reception table décor. The possibilities are endless!
Representing With Stand-Ins
Another fun idea for involving your pets is to make life-sized cardboard cutouts of them. These cutouts can feature your furry friends at their most adorable. You can reserve special seats for them at the wedding and the reception — they can even be “seated” next to you and your spouse. You can also include these cutouts at the rehearsal dinner. Talk to your photographer about incorporating these cutouts into your photos. Your pets may not be able to make it to the events, but they’ll be more than present in spirit.
Theming Your Celebration
If you and your spouse-to-be love themes, you may consider building one around your fur baby for your special day. Instead of human figurines on the wedding cake, have ones made of your pets instead. Consider having a special reception cocktail named in honor of your pet. Custom-made accessories for the wedding party could feature your pets, such as jewelry, cufflinks and even socks. The best thing is that it’s your big day and it’s entirely up to you how little or how much you build the theme around your pets.
Our fur babies are more than just pets for many of us. They are just as much a part of our families as the humans. When you’re about to embark on a major new journey, you want your favorite dog, cat, rabbit and more to be a part of the celebration. There are many ideas for including your pets in your special day. All it takes is some planning, thoughtful consideration and a bit of creativity.
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