Can’t imagine celebrating your wedding day without including your dog? You’re not alone. If you’re looking to make your wedding day extra memorable, incorporating your dog can be a great way to accomplish that. Take a look at some fun ideas to have your dog part of your day both IRL and in honor. Warning: doing any these may or may not get you some adorable Pinterest-worthy photos!

Having Your Dog Present For Your Wedding Day

1. Nominate a member or hire a dog wrangler – The last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is making sure your dog is more prepared than you are. Take the stress out of coordinating and nominate a family member or bridal party member to watch over the dog. If you want to allow everyone to relax, consider hiring a coordination service to handle it. If you’re in New England, you have to check out For The Love of Paws Boston for day-of services. They’ll even help train your pup before the big day to make sure they are ready to walk down the aisle without b-lining for that squirrel!
2. Ring bearer, flower girl, or dog of honor – Get the classic “awwwww’ from your guests and have your dog walk down the aisle before you!
3. Dress the part – Kick it up a notch and get your pup looking the part. Ask your florist to provide a coordinating floral collar and/or some extra greenery for the leash. A bow tie or bandana are other great options for the ring bearers out there! Pro-tip: choosing a neutral leash color will be your best option making your wedding colors pop without distracting from them. 
   
4. Attach a GoPro to a harness – Don’t miss out on the behind the scenes action! Seeing your wedding day unfold from your dog’s perspective is unforgettable and utterly hilarious. This works best if you’re having a backyard wedding where you know your dog is safe to roam in a controlled area.
5. Don’t have a dog but want them anyways? – Team up with a local shelter and swap out your bouquets for puppies. Seriously, what is cuter than your bridal party holding a bunch of cuddly loving pups?!

Keeping Your Dog at Home/Honoring Your Dog

Maybe your venue isn’t pet-friendly or your dog is a little too hyped up to behave. That doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate your dog for the wedding though! These are also sweet ideas if you’ve lost your pet but want to find a way to honor them as well.

1. Signature Drinks – Instead of the classic “his and hers,” come up with some creative names to honor your dog in your signature drinks! Rex on the Rocks, The Tanner, KodaRita, Max’s Moscow – your options are endless. You can find some great custom signs on Etsy for this!
2. Table Numbers – Print off some cute photos of your dog, maybe even from your engagement session.
3. Cake Topper – Get a cake topper that shows off you two and your pup, or just your dog.
4. Name tag your bouquet – A cute way to have your dog close to your heart, clip his or her name-tag onto your bouquet’s ribbon!
5. Swap favors for donations – Let’s be real. Most wedding favors end up in the garbage anyways. After all, how many monogrammed bottle openers can one person really have? Go the extra mile and donate to the shelter you rescued your pup from in honor of your wedding guests. You can either print off little place settings that let your guests know “in lieu of favors, we’ve made a charitable donation to [insert shelter here] in your name.” Or print a larger display for all to see and have it near the gift/card table!
6. Wear your dog – Okay not literally. But there are some great custom pieces you can wear with your dog on them! Pocket squares, socks….. underwear….. are all fun and low-key ways you can keep your dog present without actually being there.

That’s all for now! If you have included your dog in your wedding, share some ideas, stories, or photo gallery links below!!