Your dog is your sidekick, always ready to follow your lead. Let’s just call your dog Fido even though I know the name you chose for your dog has got to be the best dog name ever!  And for those of you who are planning a Vegas wedding, excluding an important someone in your ceremony is not an option. The special day is for inviting friends and family, and your dog is where these two meet.

If you think of your wedding as a cake, the décor is just a frosting on top – your furry friend, however, a shiny ribbon that ties everything together. Below is a list of creative ideas on how to include dogs in Las Vegas weddings.

Do note, however, that some venues don’t allow pets, so make sure to communicate your requirements on time, in order to have your buddy near the aisle when the ceremony starts.

Choosing a custom wedding in Las Vegas at a home, for instance, provides not only flexibility to do as you wish to include your loyal, loving friend but the added benefit of no restrictions.

1. Include Fido in Your Vegas Engagement Photo Shoot

When circumstances don’t allow for your best friend to attend the ceremony, make sure to at least bring him along for the Vegas engagement photo shoot. An engagement photo shoot is ideal for setting the right mood – a low-stress training ground where you will have a Vegas wedding photographer taking pictures, in a more casual and relaxed atmosphere.  It can be a family portrait, front and center of your “save the date” cards.   

Check out these Etsy save the date invitation ideas

2. Rehearsal should include Fido

For your best friend, the ceremony itself is a sensory overload of another kid. Make sure, therefore, to prepare for the event. Just as you don’t get out of your bed and walk down the aisle, your dog, too, needs a bit of preparation.  Plan to schedule a rehearsal. Hire a Vegas wedding planner to help you put together a timeline and day of coordination that includes Fido in your activities. Many day-of -coordinators will be able to steer you in the right direction with unique ideas to help that are cost effective.

Dogs get easily distracted, so better have few hours to spare. It is also a great opportunity for practicing how to take pictures with your pet and teaching him what to expect during the ceremony.

3. Let your pooch walk down the aisle

This idea works best for a home wedding in Las Vegas.  Having a Vegas wedding at a friend’s home, a rental home or your home provides much more flexibility and no restrictions. When the music starts and the noise come down to a halt, seeing your furry friend walking down the aisle is an unforgettable moment. Fido can be a ring bearer, or an escort to the flower girl, dressed up in a matching tux, or a ribbon leash.

Make sure to talk with your decoration crew if you want a flower wreath, at least one week in advance. But know your puppy too. Understand that the wedding ceremony, for them, is a kaleidoscope run wild, so almost everything can happen and often does. Sometimes it’s better to play it safe instead of betting the farm. Practice before the ceremony, so your pet knows exactly what is expected.

Here are some ideas on Etsy for fun doggie wedding signs

4.  Recessional Doggie Escort

The ceremony itself, quiet as it is, can still provide a garden variety of distractions. You’ll need, therefore, to plan up front, and have some duct tape solutions in your metaphorical back pocket.  To have a fallback, have one of the bridesmaids or someone who knows your dog well carrying treats to keep them on track.

Once the vows are exchanged, and the two of you kiss, your dog can be signaled by the planner or a friend who knows the dog well to go towards you, and then proceed quickly to the recessional. Those pictures would be unforgettable, and the crowd would definitely melt.

5. Doggie Sign Bearer

Even absent from the ceremony itself, your dog will command attention by simply being around. Wearing the rings can go wrong in so many ways as opposed to wearing a sign, so take a minute to think this over. After all, you know your furry friend better than everyone else, so if you think that the pressure is hard for him to handle, just assign a less complicated task. Wearing a sign with a creative caption is just as adorable, and people fall in love straight away.

6. Include Fido in the Vegas wedding pictures

Capture each memory of the special day by snapping dozens of pictures with your wedding guests. You can invite your dog to pose as well, for a less formal and more relaxed atmosphere. Your guests will love having him around as well.

7. Hilarious Planned Photobombs

You can pretend you are waiting to take a picture, while your dog is standing on the side. A skilled photographer can make the shoot look authentic, with your dog “ruining” or photo bombing the picture. This will be hilarious and very memorable.

8. Personalized Doggie Napkins

You can ask the bartender to replace the names of each cocktail with a custom signature of your own. And guess what, an “Aldo’s Midnight Run”, or “Bella’s restless tail” can make everyone enjoy a collective laugh.

9. Reception Place Holders

When it comes to pet-inspired décor, it’s hard to overdo it. You can have your table card design incorporating a sketch, a picture, or a catchy phrase – how about “Skippy’s favorite table #15”?

10. Customize Your Cake Top

Few scrolls over at Pinterest and you’ll see how far cake design has taken off. Cake toppers are not an exception. People love custom decorations on top of their wedding cake, so having your dog in there is quite the detail.

11. Doggie Desert Cookies

When it comes to spoils, tasty treats easily dwarf everything else in significance. Do prepare, therefore, a lot of custom treats and cookies, with creative design. Pet-inspired candies are a lot more memorable than traditional commercial sweets.

12. Reception send-off

If your family pet is about to move out after the wedding, and follow you into your new home, the reception send-off picture is a great way to capture this story. As part of your new family, he gets a spot in the picture by virtue of being adorable.

13. Creative Thank you notes

You can organize a photo shoot prior to the ceremony, where your pet is wearing a “Thank you” sign. This is a very creative and personalized way for saying thanks to those who were part of your special day. They will remember it for sure, and likely keep the card for a while longer.

14. Take your dog for a scenic wedding adventure

Think of the pictures from a scenic wedding photo shoot!  We offer many Las Vegas wedding ideas to accommodate requests like this. Your dog will look amazing in a natural setting, and both of you are going to have fun, enjoying the outdoors.

Do remember to take a lot of treats and water, and have someone responsible for the dog, accompanying him at any time. All you have to do is enjoy the Vegas adventure with one of your best friends around.