Chris and I are now in the beginning stages of planning our big day, so there has been a lot of wedding talk lately. A lot of people assume that Ares and Chaos will be involved in the wedding. They are such a huge part of our lives and we love them like children, but there are a lot of reasons why dogs in a wedding can be tough to pull off.
Logistically speaking, there is a lot to consider if you have a pet in a wedding. What role does he or she have in the wedding? I’ve read and heard about dogs, cats, pigs and horses being everything from groomsmen/bridesmaids to greeters to ushers. Not only would that require a lot of training and practice, there would have to be a plan in place if Fluffy gets bored, throws a tantrum or decides to try out crowd surfing.
Is it appropriate to have your pet in the wedding? Wedding ceremonies take place in all kinds of venues, many of them indoors. The facility would have to allow animals during the ceremony and if they do, there may even be an additional fee. No matter how much you think Mr. Giggles is really a child in your eyes, the fact is, pets are still animals. Unless the animal is highly trained, chances that he makes noises, doesn’t stay where he’s supposed to or releases unpleasant aromas your guests won’t appreciate. Is that something you will laugh about or would this ruin your day?
What happens after the ceremony? Maybe you’ve mapped out the perfect way to include your pet in your wedding ceremony but what about the reception? Again, depending on your venue, pets may not be allowed. There would have to be a designated person you trust to leave and take your furbaby home and change her out of her wedding gear. If it’s permitted and you choose to also bring Jack along for the reception festivities, there would have to be a really good sport willing to furbaby-sit. You and your new spouse and the wedding party will be too busy to keep track of the furball so that responsibility would have to go to someone else willing to take on that role who you know Boo Boo is comfortable with.
How well behaved is your furry family member in this type of situation? Unless you elope or have a very small wedding, there are going to be a lot more people than Max is probably used to. And of course there will be a lot of food and probably an overpriced cake that you don’t want your furbaby diving into. While I think the wedding should be whatever vision the bride and groom want it to be, there has to be some amount of consideration for the guests and also for Sugar Pie. Many people aren’t fond of animals up close. And some animals can be stressed out by all the excitement and commotion that weddings bring about. The next thing you know Lulu has hopped herself onto grandma’s lap and is going to town on her marinated chicken. Or Buster’s tail gets stepped on by the waitstaff rushing around and have to stop mid-Booty Call to make sure he’s okay.
I’m not on either side of the fence about pets in weddings. I completely understand why couples do have their beloved pets in their weddings but I also can see why they wouldn’t. In a perfect world none of these questions would even come up. Ares and Chaos would politely greet guests in their matching bowties and then lay patiently in the front row during the ceremony. They would entertain guests at the reception with all their tricks and behave around all the wonderful food smells. No one would accidently step on their paws or tails, Chaos would not tackle small children and lick them to death and Ares would not parade around prancing, snorting and stinking up the place. I love my boys very much but unless they attend boot camp or boarding school, I don’t see them in attendance at the wedding.
Pictures? Well now that’s another story!
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