Dog Lovers

I have a good friend who is getting married next year a few months before me. We had this discussion last week and I told her that I would try to help her figure this out. She has a dog that is like a family member that  she and her Fiance really want to incorporate into their wedding. They love this dog and this truly makes sense. When people get married they want to include those closest to them right ?  The most obvious idea is having the dog be the ring bearer. He could walk down the aisle most likely with an escort.  Not that this matters, but I am not really a dog person, so to speak. I readily admit, this is due to an incident in which I was chased by a dog as a young child, and just never really got over the fear that I experienced in that situation. My cousins were there and witnessed the whole scenario and still to this day, tease me about it, but either way, being around dogs causes me anxiety, even if they are somewhat well behaved.

However, I have several good friends who are dog lovers, that have dogs that are almost like their children, so I get the  attachment and affection that people can have for their pets. My future MIL lost her dog earlier this year and I swear it was like a family member had died. Real true emotion. It was very hard for her.  I had a co-worker several years ago,  that I saw have to put her dog to sleep and watched the pain and depression that it caused her, so I understand how people are about their beloved pets. When I visit my friends who have dogs in their homes, I try my best to remain calm, not act like I am afraid or nervous when the dog is jumping around your legs or wants to touch you, or get to know you, but it is not always easy. But I make an attempt, because I am in their home. I try to respect how this person feels about their 4 legged family member.

I really like it when people incorporate their personality or unique interests into their weddings. Even if it's not something that appeals to me or not something that I would do, I really appreciate creativity and people who want to represent themselves. I mean we all get to be who WE are.  I think it would be a cute idea to incorporate their dog into the wedding somehow, I am just trying to find the best way. Of course I went to my trusty resource, the Knot. Those chicks over there go HAM and don't hesitate to tell you what they really think ! LOL   This was an interesting discussion on the topic right here.    Go ahead and read the link and the comments and come back here..... I'll wait.

Now, I like it when people feel passionate about something,  but you have to be careful to not be closed minded.  The other thing is that at the end of the day, it is your wedding.  Very often the bride and groom are footing the bill, so it probably should be what they want, right ? So if they have their dog in their wedding, it would not really bother me at all. It would be nice to see, and it's not something you see everyday, but I would not be among those trying to get to close to the dog, LOL. Anyway bloggers, I just wanted to get your thoughts on this issue & give my friend some feedback for her big day.

Have you ever been to a wedding that somehow incorporated a pet ? If so, how did it go down ? Was it a cute idea, or did it just not make sense to you ?   Do you think guests would be offended by this ? Do you think it would be a problem ?  Would you do it ? What is the best way to incorporate  a pet into a wedding in your opinion ?


Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex