Pets at Weddings in Charleston, SC

Who is your best friend? My best friend is named Lorenzo. He is a great listener, absolutely loves my cooking even when I forget three ingredients and kind of burn it, and is never in a bad mood. The other day I asked him what he thought about being in my wedding party someday. He didn’t say anything. At first I was kind of insulted, but then I realized that if I was a black and tan Corgi I would not be caught dead in a charcoal gray suit either. I mean, that would like totally clash. So once we nixed the groomsmen idea (because I am not budging on the gray suits), we sat down and brainstormed some ideas together that were a little more appealing to Lorenzo.

For all you out there with fashion forward furry best friends, here is what we came up with:

1. Walk the ring down the aisle. This job assignment is going to be a better fit for pets on the calmer, more obedient side. The best way to do this is have a special friend or family member that is familiar with your pet walk them down the aisle. The pairing of these two is important! For example, your three year old flower girl who is terrified of dogs is probably not the best choice. This can be a great opportunity to involve someone in your wedding ceremony who did not quite fit into the wedding party, but is an important part of your life. If you have a pet who is excellent at coming on command, you may be tempted to just have them walk down the aisle themselves. Make sure that being surrounded by an aisle of laughing, oohing and ahhing people is not going to distract them! Either way, you can order collars that have ring pillows attached. Practice runs are key here.
2. Sweeten your wedding pictures! Your pet can be an adorable addition to the wedding photos. You can choose to include them in just your group photos in the beginning, or make a night of it! Have someone walk around with your pet throughout the night and get your guests to pose with them! This can make a funny, and adorable coffee table book of pictures to look through someday. If you have a photo booth, and an animal friendly booth operator, station your pet at the booth for an hour as a fun addition to the photos. This is a better option for pets that love to be held and get lots of attention!
3. Let them beg for tips. Some of us have pets that are not quite up to wedding guest standards. Create a tip jar for your bartenders to use that has a picture of your pet begging on it. It will get some laughs and your bartending staff will love you for it!
4. Donate to your favorite animal based charity in place of a favor for your guests. Create a sign with your pets picture letting your guests know that a contribution was made in their honor!
5. Involve them in your table numbers. Do you own 6 pets? Ditch the table numbers and instead name each table after one of your furry friends. If you want to put a little time into it, create a theme that matches your wedding and have a little photo shoot with your pets so you can include a picture of each pet at the corresponding table.
6. Have a lot of guests in attendance with pets at home? Pick your pet’s favorite treat and offer it as a favor to your guests to take home to their furry friends. In order to include everyone, offer a treat for dogs and cats, along with a third option that is to be enjoyed by their owners.
7. Include them on your save the date. Have a fun photo taken with your pet holding a sign with all your wedding info. Have a turtle? Paint your date on his shell (with turtle friendly paint) and take a picture. Stage a wedding scene of your cat and dog getting married. You get the picture; style it any way you want!If you choose to go with an option that includes bringing your pet to you wedding, keep a few things in mind. Not all venues will allow pets, so before you set your heart on bringing them, make sure it is okay! You also need to choose a handler for your pet that day. This person needs to be responsible for getting your pet to and from the wedding at the appropriate times, as well as caring for them during the event. If you do not think it is wise to have your pet there for the duration of the event, make sure you pick someone that will be okay with departing early. You may want to hire someone for this task so no one is missing out on part of your event, not to mention it would be best for your handler to remain sober for the safety of your pet. If your event is out of town, also ensure that you have pet friendly lodging.