Planning to Include a Pet in your Wedding? Here’s Some Tips and Tricks…
Finding a way to include your dog in your wedding can make for a fun and sweet extra as you (and they!) walk down the aisle. Dianne Gallagher had loved her Pomeranian pooch Cooper for years before she met her future husband and the CNN reporter says she literally couldn’t imagine her dream wedding and the biggest day of her life without her dog in her wedding.
Photo credit: @caseysmithcreative
“I couldn’t have done the day without Cooper. It wouldn’t have been complete, there would have been something missing without him. We’d been together since I was a teenager. With no disrespect to my husband, the love of my life has always been Cooper. Alan’s love and acceptance of Cooper is part of our story.”
Gallaghers husband, Alan Cavana more than just accepted Cooper, he too fell in love with the tiny black furball.
“He made it easy to love him. He was fluffy and compassionate. Most importantly, he was Dianne’s family.”
The couple dressed Cooper in a special tuxedo for their Charlotte area wedding.
Cavana says, “We found his tux through a seller on Pinterest and ETSY. It’s one of my favorite memories. You can plan for a lot of things in life but never did I plan on measuring a Pomeranian for a tuxedo. I realized then my life had changed for the better.”
There was only one problem: the place they were getting married didn’t allow dogs. (*The Venues at Langtree welcomes all pets and we will work with you to find the perfect way to include your dog (or any pet) in your wedding ceremony!)
“When we learned our venue wouldn’t allow animals, we didn’t know what to do. So we devised a reverse-heist to sneak him in for a quick cameo…and then out before anyone with the venue would notice,” Gallagher remembers.
“Having Cooper walk down the aisle before me made me feel better on that day. I got to tell him I loved him and hold his little soft paw to calm me down before he owned the aisle like a catwalk in his bespoke blue tux and orange bow tie. You can’t get married without the love of your life being there.”
OTHER WAYS TO INCLUDE YOUR FURRY FRIEND:
Take must have photos! The Venues at Langtree has dozens of locations and beautiful grounds on the property that serve as incredible backdrops for photos. You can plan to use this gorgeous venue for wedding day photos or even engagement photos ahead of the big day to make sure your pet is always remembered as being a part of your wedding. Here’s a few more ideas:
Make your cat or dog a bridesmaid or groomsmen and have them stand (sit!) at the altar. You can find simple bowties, full tuxes and even “dresses” online that will help add a sweet bit of southern charm and elegance to everyone’s favorite wedding guest.
Have your dog be the ring bearer. You can find specially crafted pillows that attach to your dog’s collar as they walk down the aisle.
Decorate your dog’s leash with flowers and have the flower girls walk them down the aisle.
Put your dog to work: attach a GoPro to their collar and have fun with the dogs-eye-view footage they capture of your wedding day.
Have cocktail napkins made with your dog’s name and likeness and include a fun saying
Have a special handkerchief designed that you can discreetly stuff in your dress and your hubby to be can use as a pocket square.
Have a likeness of your dog made that you can use as the cake-topper
The Venues at Langtree in Mooresville, North Carolina is home to more than 26,000 square feet and five different venue spaces that can accommodate events like large weddings, private parties, corporate retreats and intimate gatherings with both indoor and outdoor options. Also coming later this year, an additional half acre of outdoor space.