Thirty years after your wedding day, what will you remember; the beautiful flowers, the precious words spoken, the pretty dresses, or your dog at the ceremony?
I remember my dog at my reception (although it’s only been 22 years). I eloped and had a large party at my house, so my springer spaniel, Kaylee, joined in the fun. What I remember most is Kaylee jumping at my swinging dress while I danced a polka, my coworkers trying to get her drunk, and at the end of the night, she jumped onto the couch and stuck her head in a bowl of potato chips, forcing me and my husband to clean up before going to bed.
My niece, Lisa, followed suite in a grand fashion, by having her dog, Maisy, as the Dog of Honor, and her husband’s dog, Cooper, as the Ring Bearer. They included them in every step, from the Save the Date cards through the wedding ceremony.
However, things didn’t go as quite as planned. Maisy is more sensitive than Cooper as they tolerated the steam train ride up the mountain at Roaring Camp Railroad, near Santa Cruz, California http://www.roaringcamp.com/wedding , to the wedding ceremony within a redwood fairy ring. But once the ceremony began, Maisy started whining and wouldn’t stop, no matter what my sister, as Mother of the Bride, tried. Finally Maisy was led away to avoid disturbing the taking of the vows, although I could still hear her in the distance.
I don’t think the officiant asked if anyone in the audience protested this marriage, but if he had, Maisy might have whined. Would she have been protesting, or just nervous? She really likes her new daddy Chris, and brother Cooper.
The dogs made many of the wedding photos with Cooper wearing a black Ring Bearer jacket, and Maisy wearing a corsage (is it called a corsage on a dog’s collar?). Unfortunately, they couldn’t attend the reception. Instead Maisy and Cooper caught up on their beauty sleep in their crates and restored their energy for the honeymoon.
Apparently, it’s not unusual to include dogs in the wedding party, as mentioned in the summer issue of Modern Dog Magazine http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/adorable-wedding-ideas/80004
Of course dogs in the wedding party may only work at outdoor weddings, or selected venues.
- Plan for every mishap.
- Bring a treat pouch full of their favorites. A dog can’t whine or bark while munching on her favorite liver treats!
