Every summer thousands of couples say “I do” under the sun.

With millions of dog lovers in the US, many will be looking for ways to include their four-legged family members in their wedding festivities. A popular choice for many is having their pup as the ring bearer or flower girl – both newly engaged singer Carrie Underwood and Trueblood actress Anna Paquin have already announced their pups will take a walk down the aisle with them. While non-dog lovers sometimes think including pets in a wedding is bizarre, many other celebrities have included their pups in their weddings as well!

Adam Sandler’s dog Meatball took on the big responsibility of walking the rings down the aisle while wearing a tux and yarmulke to match for Sandler’s 2003 wedding.

Another bulldog ring bearer, Hemingway, participated in the May 2005 marriage of his humans, Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson.

Ellen Degeneres’ malti-poo mix, Wolf, witnessed her wedding to Portia DeRossi in 2008.

Since our pets are members of our families, it’s always fun to want to include them in our nuptials. Including your pooch can personalize your wedding and add a lot of “dogvergnügen” moments to your wedding! When you decide which role you want your pet to take, make sure to keep these things in mind:

  • Have someone be your pup’s guardian during the day of the festivities. This person should not be a part of your bridal party; in the event something goes wrong (your dog doesn’t do well with large groups or starts barking, etc) you want this person able to escort your pup home or just somewhere else during the ceremony.
  • How is your pup getting down the isle – is he well-behaved enough to walk down alone? Most dogs aren’t. In this situation, make sure you buy your dog a nice leash and assign someone in the bridal party to accompany your beloved pooch.
  • Many venues don’t allow pets; make sure to ask the coordinator what their policies are upfront.
  • Include your pup in the flower order – for your ring-bearer include an extra boutonniere and for your flower-pup have a flower wreath to wear on her head or around her neck.

Overall you know you pup’s personality best; if they don’t do well with large groups, having them a part of the wedding party might not be the best idea. Make sure that whatever you choose, your dog will enjoy your wedding as much as you do.

Make sure to check out our website for great gift ideas and thank you cards for the dog lover in your wedding party!