Dog of Honour?

The venue search is still on! We’ve managed to hit another snag, though. Our out-of-wedlock baby, Dudley (a 3-year old Jack Russell Terrorist), is not always a welcome party guest. He is obviously a guest of honour in our eyes, being immediate family, but it appears that not everyone is quite so enamored with him (and his furry counterparts) as we are. Therefore, "pet friendly” has been added to our must-have list. For the types of venues that we are trying to find, you’d think that it would be easy. Not so. Surprisingly, nature lovers (ie. Cottage/barn/farm owners) are not always animal lovers. We have a few promising dog-friendly leads so far, so I am optimistic.


Being a just a little over the moon about our pooch, we want this day to be about him too, in a way. I may regret opening up the guest list to the canine variety as I am screaming “Down”, “Come”, “Stay”, “No”, “Off” from the aisle. And muddy paws + white dress? ACK! But, really, I wouldn’t have it any other way. He is family after all. Unless you’re also a dog owner/lover, you couldn’t possibly understand.

I've been perusing the web for ideas on incorporating pets into the ceremony. I'm certainly not alone. There is actually an entire website dedicated to it! I will no doubt endure ribbing from, um, everyone, when my little Mister struts out in his custom doggie tux, but it's comforting to know that others share my insanity. Even Alex pretends that he's mortified when it comes to dog apparel. I know the truth. What Dudley's "role" may be in our wedding, I'm still not sure. Ring bearer, perhaps? Dare I even suggest "Best Man"?

An informative (and amusing) Martha Stewart Weddings article on pets in weddings, shared this anecdote:

During the outdoor ceremony of Sarah St. Onge and Andrew Howell in St. Helena, California, Sarah's dog, Piper, suddenly began barking. "She saw a squirrel," says Andrew. "But the barks were well timed," adds Sarah. "Piper punctuated the wedding vows and added an element of humor." And it's warm, lighthearted surprises like this that make a wedding memorable.

I do anticipate such behaviour from Mr. D, but I can only hope that it will be just as "well-timed" and "lighthearted". However, considering Dudley's squirrel encounters surpass mere barking and usually involve spastic sprinting and frothing at the mouth, I may just take Ms. Stweart's advice and "hire a handler" (ahem, my sister). Pretty please, Auntie Jilly?