So you want to include your dog in your marriage proposal or be a part of your wedding? This is always an adorable idea, but I want to share some tips with you so it goes as smoothly as possible. Big crowds can be over-stimulating for anyone, let alone dogs… BUT – There are a number of ways to incorporate your pup while avoiding any extra stress or anxiety on you or your dog! 

The Proposal

First and foremost, know your dog. By that I mean really take a minute and think about your dog’s temperament. If you have a high energy dog that’s happy to see everyone and pulls on the leash, this is not the dog you want to tie a ring onto. Instead, try to think of different ways to involve them (read on!).

My next big tip for including them in both the proposal and the wedding – Have help! Assign your friend or family member, or even better, dog walker (many are happy to offer this service!) to be in charge of the dog. You already have enough to focus on without having to worry about your dog and what they’re doing, don’t put the extra stress on yourself. Make sure the person you have helping you is familiar with your dog, or good with dogs in general. If you enlist the help of your friend or family member that isn’t comfortable handling your dog, things could go wrong fast.

I had the pleasure of helping one of my clients out with proposing to his girlfriend, Amanda. They have the sweetest dog, Tucker. He took his girlfriend out to brunch like they do every Sunday, and in the meantime my sister and I went and picked up Tucker. We then brought Tucker to where Scott had planned to propose. I had him text me when they were on their way so I could get into a good waiting spot. It was an added surprise to see Tucker waiting for her to make the event that more special!

Our plan was to put a note on his collar that read “Daddy has a question to ask you…” So while she read the note, Scott got down on one knee behind her so when she turned around he was in position with the ring. This was not only absolutely adorable, but it ensured the ring was still safe! At the same time, my sister was standing on the other side with her camera capturing the moment! This is a very easy and creative way to include your pup.

Other creative options for proposing with your dog:

Have A Plan

This may sound obvious, but being prepared is everything. For instance, I was in charge of making the note for my client. No big deal, except when I went to print out the note, my printer stopped working. Had I printed it out ahead of time I wouldn’t have had to scramble. And of course because of this little hiccup, I also forgot the hole punch, so we needed to improvise the collar attachment. Luckily, my sister randomly knew how to make an origami heart out of paper… Another thing that would’ve been helpful to know ahead of time. Nevertheless, we were able to print the note out, fold it into a cute heart shape and attach it to the collar no problem. But preparing what you need to as far in advance is key to not having to figure these things out last minute.

I believe in a situation like this simplicity is key. The easier the plan, the better the chance of a successful “icing on the cake” to an already momentous occasion. If you have a very well trained dog that can hand deliver the ring and stay calm in different situations, then by all means go for it. But most of us have regular dogs that are just happy to be included.

Having a plan and everything that can be is prepared ahead of time, the chances of things going wrong are minimalized. This is not to say things still won’t go awry, let’s be honest…  That’s another thing I want you to keep in mind. Dogs are, after-all, animals. You never know how they’re truly going to act in a sensitive situation. Even if they are well trained, the sign could get knocked over, they may see a squirrel or something. Things happen. This is why having someone there in charge of the dog to help is key. This way you aren’t holding a dog and an expensive ring at the same time. 

Wedding Time!

It is absolutely a magical thing to be able to include your dog in your wedding. But this can be an even higher stress environment for your dog. There are a bunch of strangers, you’re wearing a white dress, the ground could be wet and dogs don’t usually wear shoes… Your dog will have to walk in between all of these people. It can be a lot. But it CAN be done! Let me help…

So to re-emphasize: The number one thing I recommend is to have someone in charge of the dog. Preferably someone who is not part of your wedding. This again ensures that you are able to focus on getting married and not what’s happening with your dog.

My friend Becky and her fiancé John just got married in October and they asked if I would help them with including their dogs in the wedding. Here is where being honest with yourself about your dog’s temperament really comes into play. They have two adorable labs, Charlee and Miley. Charlee is 3 years old and Miley is 6 months. Charlee is super sweet but very high energy, she wants to be everyone’s best friend and explore everything. Miley is a puppy and definitely the calmer of the two. 

I suggested that I bring both dogs to the venue beforehand just to let the dogs get a feel for the layout and sniff around. This also helped them get used to me handling them in that environment. While Miley did great, Charlee was a little over-enthusiastic about the situation. In her ‘typical’ lab fashion, she wanted to run around the venue and play and sniff and explore every inch of the place, and that’s OK! She’s a dog… That’s what dogs do. Especially labs, it’s in their nature to be the happiest dogs ever! However it was after this that they decided it would be best to only include Miley. These aren’t easy decisions to make, but I was proud of them for being honest with themselves about their dog, She’s an amazing dog, but it would have been too over stimulating for her. This is why doing a trial run is always a good idea. It provides you an opportunity to see exactly how your dog will handle it, and allows you to make an objective decision.

The day of the wedding, I coordinated with her on what time they’d be taking pictures. I went over to the house and let the dogs run around outside. This is an important step, a tired dog is a happy, better behaved dog. It also gave Miley a chance to go to the bathroom as well. Then I loaded her up in the car and we were on our way to the venue. Once we got there, Becky had an absolutely adorable flower collar for her that matched her bouquet! We put it on her and I handed her over to take some pictures. When the pictures were finished I took her and we walked around for a little while, getting some of her newly acquired excitement out and then it was time to line up to walk down the aisle. Becky’s brother walked Miley down the aisle with him, and once everyone was up front, they took a quick picture with the entire bridal party, then I scooped up Miley and brought her home. 

Everything went perfectly and according to plan! Miley did an amazing job and the pictures turned out beautifully. Like I said before, having someone there in charge of the dog meant that I could take Miley right home afterwards and she didn’t have to sit through the ceremony, avoiding a number of possible interruptions. She got to be a part of the wedding, but without the added stress of having to make sure the dog was taken care of throughout the entire night. 

I brought a backpack with me filled with extra supplies just in case. I included a nice rope leash, plenty of dog treats, poop bags and a squeaky toy. Don’t underestimate the power of a squeaky toy – It can be an absolute lifesaver. It is the best way to get your dog’s attention for pictures, especially if it’s a brand new toy they’ve never seen before. I want to point out that Becky had all these things with her already (of course, being a fantastic dog-mom), but she already had enough to worry about and I just wanted to bring back-ups to be extra prepared.

I hope these tips help you to include your pup on your special day! If you do include your dog in your wedding or for your proposal, please tag me with #dogsdontwearpantsblog so I can see all of the amazing ideas you all come up with and unforgettable memories! Be sure to check out some of our other blog posts!