Your fur babies are some of your favorite family members! (Don’t worry, I won’t tell Aunt Karen!) So why not incorporate your pups on your wedding day? While having your good boy or girl at your big day sounds great, it can present challenges. Who is bringing the dog, in charge of their well-being, or taking them home during the reception? Today on Wedding Secrets Unveiled!, Veronica Silghigian of Pawfect for You is here with the secret to smoothly incorporating your fur baby into your day. Veronica provides tips and tricks for hiring the best wedding day dog sitter and explains just how different this role is from a standard dog walker/sitter. If you are looking for a trustworthy vendor to help make your doggy wedding day dreams come true, then this is the episode for you!
Meet Veronica.
I’m Veronica, the owner of Pawfect for You. We are a wedding day pet care company serving couples who want to include their fur babies on their wedding day. Essentially, what we do is help our clients figure out the logistics for including their pet on their wedding day.
I love it. Being a photographer, I see this a lot because we’re there when the pets arrive. It’s usually for the meaningful moments – like the ceremony and pictures. We’ve gotten to see a lot of pet handlers for weddings and engagement session. But, it’s a nice option to be able to have!
It’s one of those days that’s just not about normal pet sitting. Some people do have the luxury of asking their regular sitter, but there’s often more logistics. Sometimes we’re picking up a dog at house or taking them home. Sometimes we’re going to a kennel. Each wedding and venue has different logistics we have to consider, plus your overall timeline.
Can you take us through the difference between a regular pet sitter and a wedding day pet sitter?
Wedding pet sitters are definitely a different breed of pet sitters. I always tell clients that we’re a combination of a pet sitter and wedding planner, because there’s so much planning that occurs leading up to the wedding day. When it comes to the actual wedding day, it’s a little mini project for us. We have a timeline to consider – where we’re dropping off and picking up a pup. Are we driving anywhere?
Each dog is a little bit different too. We’re managing what they need – toys, treats, attention. We also have to plan out the details for things like the ceremony ahead of time. We’re different than a regular pet sitter because there’s so much more to consider and plan ahead for, to document and think through.
How do you make sure that you know the pets and get acquainted with the pet before the wedding day?
Good question. And funny enough, we don’t always do meet and greets. Sometimes we are literally the stranger going into kidnap a dog, ha! We do sometimes do meet and greets if the client wants the peace of mind or to give the dog permission to be comfortable with the sitter. Honestly though, we’ve found that if you need multiple meet and greets, then you probably don’t want to hire a wedding day pet sitter. It will be too much for your dog.
That’s a great tip. Because if you know that your dog, might struggle a little bit, you can plan ahead to meet the handler or do the handoff on the morning of the wedding.
Absolutely. I really tell clients to think about it from your dog’s standpoint. I know it sound a bit crazy, but wedding days are so different than real life. So, if you know that your dog doesn’t do well with differences in their environment, then you might want to consider not including them in every big part of your day. Be really honest about your dog’s behaviors and their temperament because the wedding day is also one of those days where you don’t want something to go wrong. The potential for things to go wrong is exponential, especially when it comes to pets.
That actually kind of leads me into my next question for you. What are some of the pros and cons when thinking about having your dog at your wedding day?
So for pros: your dog is your baby and a member of your pack. Many times your dog is a part of your family and it’s special to include them. Wedding Pro, the parent company for the Knot Wedding Wire, came out with a report in January or February 2023 that shows 50% of couples got their dogs prior to their wedding day. When I started my business in 2016, that number was at 16%. All that to say, dogs are part of your family. It’s nice to be able to introduce your dog to family and friends who might not get to see them regularly, too. Plus, it can be a huge stress reliver for couples to have their fur babies there.
I also tell my couples, it’s nice to have your pup there for your photos too. You’re paying lots of money for those photos and you’ll probably hang them around your house. You probably want to have your dog in some of those! So, bringing a pet sitter and having your dog there, in addition to the investment that you’re making on your photography package is definitely a benefit.
Now, con wise… things like jumping on dresses or suits can be difficult. We encourage that jumpers have harnesses whenever possible. Logistics can definitely complicate things too, like if you’re having a church ceremony that doesn’t allow dogs. Even logistics about where pick up and drop off can be tricky – if you’re in an area without a lot of kennels or even pet-friendly hotels. A lot of couples plan and book things without realizing they’ll want their dog there in the end. That can make the logistics complicated later, too.
Another con is also what I mentioned before: thinking about things from a dog’s standpoint. You are taking a dog out of its natural environment. Dogs are very much creatures of routine. Some dogs do very well with those changes and can tolerate them, other dogs do not. If that’s your dog (and be really honest about it), then maybe it’s better if your dog stays home for the day or only comes for a handful of photos. There are also couples that receive pushback from family members because of allergies or they just don’t understand it. We can talk through that, too. Another thing that you need to be honest about is your dog’s potential for aggressive behavior. If your dog isn’t good with kids and you have kids in your wedding party, maybe your pup shouldn’t be there. Things like that have to be considered, too.
Finally, you need to look at your venue’s requirements. Many historic homes don’t allow pets. You also need to look at your budget. Full-day pet services maybe take up 3% of an average budget, but there’s other smaller options, too.
Can you dive into pricing a little bit more?
So pricing is one of those things that you have to just work through. People think about having their dog at their wedding and care afterwards. We’ve had clients reach out and say they need a pet sitter all weekend long, so I’ll send a quote and they’ll think it’s ridiculous. But you’re using up someone’s time for 2-3 days. So, come back to us and we’ll work out a better quote and setup for you. Pricing for a pet sitter is like any other vendor. I think it really comes back to figuring out your budget, just like you would with other vendors. Understand what you can realistically afford.
What areas do you serve for pet services?
Yes, I serve as pretty much everything from Maine down to Virginia, all the way out to Pittsburgh. We also offer a virtual planning option to for some of the areas of the country that don’t have services like we do. That’s helpful if someone really needs assistance with the logistics or timeline. We’ll help them build the timeline and checklist for the day.
I actually formed a Facebook group during the pandemic because weddings and pets are just one of these times in a business where it’s just popping up. We’re happy to send recommendations if you can’t find someone nearby.
What are some ideas about how to incorporate pets into a wedding day in a thoughtful way – from what you’ve seen?
I’m a huge fan of the first look with your dog! Have them sit with either the bride or the groom, or even off to the side. Whatever makes the most sense – but it’s super cute. The ceremony goes without saying. One thing I’ve seen that I love is when the dog is actually with the couple, like a family unit. We’ll give treats to someone up there if the dog gets restless, but it’s really fun. During cocktail hour, if your venue allows it and your dog will tolerate it, it’s nice to have your dog mingle with the guests. I’ve also seen dogs be part of the bridal party introductions or first dances, even. It’s super cute. We’ve even seen couples give their pups little tiny dog friendly cakes for the cake cutting, too.
Another one I saw that I loved was this one to the bride was incorporating her something old. So, she used her mother’s dress to create a lace collar for her dog. I’ve also seen couples have their dogs be a ring bearer, too.
It’s honestly just about having fun, right? It’s your wedding day, and you’re bringing your furbaby there.
Wrap-Up Question
Can you tell us some key points that couples should be asking wedding pet sitters or handler companies when they are inquiring to make sure that they are working with a professional company to ensure that their wedding day is an absolute perfect event?
Ask what the process is like to work with them.
Find out what the expectations are for you, the couple, and for your venue or vendors.
Start early with planning for your dog to be at your wedding so you can make decisions confidently. Consider pet-friendly hotels and venues.
What We Discussed
Meet Veronica (2:36)
Pet Sitters v. Pet Walkers (2:45)
How to Plan Out Your Dog at the Wedding (6:40)
Pros and Cons of Dogs at Your Wedding (12:44)
Other Ideas to Incorporate Dogs in Your Wedding Day (26:34)
Wrap-Up Question (31:48)
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Find Pawfect for You at Website | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook
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