How to Prepare Your Pooch to Participate in Your Wedding Ceremony

One of the best things about celebrating your wedding is getting to share such a significant milestone in your life with all of your loved ones. For many couples, having a wedding without their dog as an honoured guest is unthinkable. However, many couples shy away from bringing their pet to the festivities because of the complicated logistics involved in ensuring that their canine family member is cared for during the event. Here are some of our top tips to ensure the participation of your pooch at your wedding goes smoothly:

• Depending on how docile your dog is, you could consider having him or her walk you down the aisle as a ring bearer or four-legged flower-girl.

• You will want to make sure that your wedding planner, florist and photographer are aware well ahead of time that your pet will be a part of your wedding.

• Ensure that your pet isn’t allergic to any of the flowers or other materials that will be a part of the wedding outfit his/her will be wearing.

• We recommend using professional pet handlers like Pets at Weddings Sri Lanka who will ensure that your dog is well taken care of during the ceremony and reception.

• Some of the responsibilities of the pet handler include ensuring that your pet mingles with guests in a calm manner, potty breaks and also that your pet is fed and given water.

• Introduce the pet handler to the photographer and videographer before the event. The introduction will make sure that coordination during the event will go smoothly.

• The loud music and crowds might feel like sensory overload for your pooch. The pet handler will observe your pet’s body language and take him/her outside for some quiet time if needed.

• As you would with any of your other family members present, you probably hope that your pooch interacts with your guests in a calm, non-combative manner. Keep in mind that you know your dog’s temperament better than anyone else does and advise the handler accordingly.

• A professional pet handler will keep your feedback in mind when preparing your dog for the big day in order to minimize any meltdowns. Your pup will greet your guests like a pro!

Photo credits Amaranthe Lifestyle Photography

Menik Senanayake is a writer and blogger living in Toronto, Canada. She’s a polyglot who ironically prefers the company of animals over people. You can read her travel stories at lavenderlune.org and follow her on Instagram here.