Having your dog at your wedding is an exciting yet overwhelming idea that should be carefully considered by you.
Whilst it’s the perfect way to include a member of the family who has been with you through every milestone, there are many aspects to the day that need to be discussed to ensure your Dog is well cared for and you continue to enjoy the biggest day of your lives with your loved ones.
To help you decide how your Dog can be involved we have added some top tips whilst planning your day:
- Verify the Venue: Always ask "how Dog Friendly are you? - there are many levels to dog friendly from outside only to full acceptance across the venue check out our Dog Friendly Venue Blog for more details as to why this is important.
- Pack a Kit: Include water bowl, food, high-value treats, toys and their favourite bed to help them settle - We will have water, poo bags, towels and even more treats throughout the day.
- Rehearse: Take your dog to the venue beforehand, a wedding showcase may be a little overwhelming and include other dogs, however a pop in to see the Coordinator or a drink in the bar is a great way to get them used to the new location. Consider that dogs will have been before so plenty of smells to find.
- Other Animals: Ask about other animals at the venue: sheep, cows, alpacas, peacocks, general wildlife and if the venue owners have a dog.
Most importantly...
- Hire a Chaperone: As a Professional Pet Chaperone, we remove the stress and concerns you will naturally have involving your dog/s into the biggest day of your lives. All toileting, cleaning, wiping feeding and general care will be given in line with their usual routine.
We will consistently risk assess your Dogs behaviour throughout the day to ensure they are happy in their environment, allowing time for decompression whilst also making every part of their role enjoyable.
A good Chaperone will be able to handle your Dog safely throughout the day, a great one (like us) will know everything about your dog before the wedding day to ensure they are always working within their own limits reducing all stress and anxiety. We also won’t be afraid to change the plan if we feel your dog is uncomfortable.
Once you have found a Chaperone they will guide you through the Choosing a Role for Your Pup.
The ideal role for most owners is Ringbearer - picture your dog running down the aisle, rings attached to their collar, tongue out, excited to jump on your dress.
Wait what...no jumping on the dress!!!
As your Chaperone we will go through all the options and during our visit discuss the best route to achieve your ideal role, depending on your dog's temperament, they can take on several roles:
- Ring Bearer: Secure your rings in a pouch or accompany the Best Man.
- Flower Dog: Be part of the Bridal Party entrance or accompany the Mother of the Bride down the aisle.
- Dog of Honour / Best Dog: Have them stand by your side during the vows for a truly personal ceremony.
- Welcoming Committee: A social butterfly can greet guests at the entrance, this is something BOW-Tiful Walks & Weddings include with all their packages.
Always remember the importance of your dog being on a lead throughout the day and should you ever wish to remove their lead, you need your venue, Registrar’s, and Chaperone's permission.
Whichever role you choose for your dog, ensure there is a plan to remove your dog from the ceremony if it is too vocal or unsettled.
Most ceremonies are around 30 minutes long; we will happily entertain your dog on a short walk in the grounds whilst you complete your nuptials.
Just remember - if your Dog is to play an active role in the ceremony, your Registrar and Photographer really need to know well in advance.
Most importantly check the Public Liability insurance at your venue and your own pet insurance.
If neither have cover for animal liability (which is not normally part of standard cover) you will need a professional Chaperone who has their own Pet Chaperone liability insurance.
Dog walking, pet sitting, and home boarding insurance is not sufficient.
Liability insurance covers both your dog and your venue/suppliers and guests from incident - whilst many focus of the accidents a dog can cause injury to your Dog is just as important.
Family members also won't have this liability cover so if your considering leaving your dog with someone who's attending the wedding, ask yourself what happens when they need to eat or drink? if they drop the lead or your dog eats something it shouldn't; or more importantly your Dog is spooked by everyone and they want escape the ceremony or photos.
Is your family member willing to miss the wedding and take liability for anything that will go wrong?
So, what are the risks?
There are many areas to continually risk assessed through the day, a Professional Chaperone will naturally take all these areas into account leaving you to enjoy your day.
Guest & Staff - Allergies, fear, excitement, and clothing are all crucial factors which allowing your dog to interact with people.
Venue Decor - candles, confetti, glass wear, flowers, props.
Venue Access - where is your dog allowed, have you considered access and egress when the area is full of guests?
Children - children can excite or make dogs nervous due to their unpredictability, in an already exciting setting such as a wedding, dogs and children’s interactions should be closely always monitored.
Allergies - guests, staff and your dog’s allergies are extremely important, which a guest can stay away from your dog or take antihistamines, dogs’ allergies such as diet issue can lead to vet trips.
Dog Accessories - collars, leads, harnesses all need to be the correct fit, an excited dog slipping their collar in at a wedding venue is a risk to themselves due to being in an unfamiliar area with many smells to explore.
Ensure any accessories purchases are fitted and checked, whilst there are many accessories to choose from, quality matters for your dog’s safety.
Photographers can also photoshop your dog’s own harness out of your images if you prefer not to purchase something new.
Dog Friendly - which areas of the venue and grounds, where are the poo bins, are dogs allowed on furniture, where will staff be when serving drinks and canapés.
Dog Friendly Accommodation - can your dog be left alone in the room, with our wrap around pet sitting services we would always recommend you have someone to look after you dog in the room, it’s a new environment, accidents can happen and most importantly toileting and feeding are taken care off.
Always ask about damage charges and whether your dog is allowed on the bed.
A fridge for dog food is also a great bonus - especially if raw fed.
Supplier Equipment - cameras, tripods, cables, cake stands, floral arrangements - the list is endless but all very intriguing to dogs. Our liability insurance covers us for damage to equipment at the venue; however, we will eliminate the risk to these by always keeping control of your dog.
Canapés & Drinks - cocktail sticks are a huge issue at weddings, some venues are realising that guests will drop these on the floor and are now finding alternative methods to serve finger foods. However please speak to your venue about alternatives, whilst we will watch the floor for anything, reducing the risk if they are not used at all.
Also discuss whether your dog is allowed a cheeky Yorkshire pudding from Uncle Bob - Chaperones will not be afraid to tell him this is not allowed if that is your wishes.
Weather - Heat, wind, snow rain - all factor how your Dog will be on your wedding day, cleaning will be down to your Chaperone, and they should carry the equipment on their van. Additional breaks, shaded areas, and access to water all day is all part of the standard Chaperone care.
Be prepared to have your service shortened for the safety of your dog’s health.
Dog Behaviour- A great Chaperone will get to know your dog prior to the day, ensuring they stay safely within their limits, this is not just limited to behaviour; age and health are just as important in deciding the level of service your dog can happily take part in.
Reactivity - A dog’s reaction can be as simple as watching a bird fly over to being nervous around noise, whilst reactivity can cause aggression in some dogs, all levels of reactivity should be discussed with your Chaperone prior to your wedding day, considering human and wildlife interaction. Preparation is key to a happy dog at your venue.
Whilst BOW-Tiful Walks & Weddings are fully insured to work with XL Bullies who carry their own insurance and exemption certificates we would not work with any dog who shows signs of aggression – no matter the breed, an aggressive dog is high risk to your guests, venue and suppliers and the source of the aggression should be identified and worked on with a qualified Behaviourist prior to any involvement in your day.
Whilst the information provided should be expected by a Professional Chaperone, each individual Chaperone will work in their own way, so please ensure you check out their work, meet them in person, and see how they interact with your Dog prior to the day.
For further details about our Chaperone Services and how we can involve your Dog safely into your Wedding Day please get in touch at https://bowtifulwalksandweddings.co.uk/send-us-an-enquiry
Kate & Ant