How to Host a Dog Wedding

Selecting the Wedding Party, Celebrant, and Guests

Choose a wedding party. In addition to the bride and groom (and their human handlers), you may want to include other dogs in the wedding. Ask the bride’s best furry friends to serve as the maid of honor and bridesmaids. Invite the groom’s favorite four-legged friends to stand by his side as the best man and groomsmen.

Find an officiant. Marriage ceremonies, even those of the canine variety, are conducted by an officiant. Since dog marriages are not legally binding, any one can officiate your pet’s wedding. You may hire a licensed celebrant to conduct the ceremony or ask a close friend to lead the bride and groom through their wedding “bows”.

Create the guest list. Weddings are meant to be celebrated and witnessed by friends and family members. Together with the parents of the bride or groom, compile a list of loved ones you want in attendance. Don’t forget to add a few canine guests to the list too! Remember, the size of the venue may limit the number of people and dogs you invite.

Planning the Nuptials

Choose a dog-friendly location. The venue you select must accommodate the needs of your four-legged bride, groom, and guest. In addition to allowing dogs on the premises, it is imperative that the staff is comfortable working with animals. If you are hosting a small, intimate affairs, consider holding the wedding festivities in a backyard, a park, or a garden. If the guest list is lengthy, you may want to rent a larger venue, like a hotel ballroom.

Decide if you will pay for services or do-it-yourself. No wedding—not even a canine wedding—would be complete without tasty food, lively music, gorgeous flowers, and a photographer to capture all of the lovely memories. While some hosts choose to hire a caterer, DJ, florist, and photographer others prefer to find volunteers to provide these services or even perform these tasks themselves.

Plan the ceremony. The wedding ceremony may be as informal or traditional as you would like. Many traditional elements of weddings can be adapted for your canine friends. For instance, consider including the following elements: Procession: Have the wedding party (and their human handlers) walk down the aisle to the alter. Symbol of Unity: Have the bride and groom drink out of a shared cup. Vows: The two love pups may exchange vows at the alter. Officiant: "Do you Victor take Viridian to be your beloved?" Victor: "Arf!" Officiant: "Do you Viridian take Victor to be your beloved?" Viridian: "Arf!" Pronouncement of Marriage: After the pups exchange vows, the officiant can formally announce the happy couple. Officiant: "Victor and Viridian, I now pronounce you two pups in love! You may sniff your bride!"

Plan the reception. Like the wedding ceremony, the reception may be as non-traditional or formal as you'd like. The only stipulation is that the reception should cater to dogs and human guests. Food: Set of treats for the pups or serve them a formal meal. For your two-legged guests, consider passing around appetizers, setting up a buffet, or having a sit-down dinner. Drinks: Put down water dishes for the pups. Set up drink stations for your friends and family. Dessert: Order a canine cake and a separate dessert for your guests. Entertainment: Put together a play area for the pouches and a dance floor for the people. Traditional Elements: You may have the bride and groom cut the cake or share a first dance. The bride's handler could throw her bouquet to the eligible female pups, and the groom's owner could toss the bride garter to all the bachelors.

Find outfits for the wedding party. Many pet stores and specialty dog boutiques carry wedding outfits for canine brides and grooms. They also have dresses for the bridesmaids and bowties for the groomsmen. Don’t forget to find fabulous outfits for the human handlers! Instead of purchasing the wedding outfits, you can always make your own or have the clothing custom made.

Make and send the invitations. When all of the wedding details are finalized, you can create the invitations. In addition to including all of the relevant details—date, time, attire, etc—you may also want to explain why you are hosting a dog wedding. Mail the invitations a few weeks before the nuptials so that guests have time to RSVP. Before you send out the formal invite, you could even send out a “Save the Date” card.

Overseeing Day-Of Details and Celebrating the Nuptials

Set up for the event. On the day or morning prior to the wedding, you will be busy overseeing preparations for the wedding and reception. Surround yourself with a team of helpful volunteers or hard-working vendors to help get the job done. Last minute preparations may include: Making floral arrangements Setting up tables, chairs, etc. Cooking and baking Decorating the venue Coordinating with vendors

Pamper the pooches. The morning of the ceremony, treat the canine bride and groom to a day at the groomers. Have the dogs bathed, their nails clipped, and their hair styled. After a morning at the spa, get the couple dressed in their wedding outfits and rush them off to the ceremony site. You can invite members of the wedding party to join the happy couple at the groomers.

Enjoy the wedding ceremony and reception. After weeks or even months of planning, the big event has finally arrived. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the celebration. Remember, dog weddings, like human weddings, are unpredictable. You won’t be able to control your four-legged guests, so you might as well laugh at their antics.