This post is dedicated to our dog, and the ring bearer at our wedding, Buddy, who passed away last week.

10-4 Good Buddy :(

Buddy (a.k.a. Budster, Mr. Buddinski, Budders, and Rex) lived the good life for 13  years. He was, cliches aside, my husband’s best friend. I also spooned him many a night when my husband was away on business trips. He was also my running buddy, our daughter’s stinky big brother, and one of the gang when friends gathered in our backyard or on camping trips…

Buddy

Buddy

A big part of our family unit, Buddy was part of our wedding plans right from the beginning.

Tips for Dog Owners

1. Respect  your dog’s personality – if they are not going to enjoy the event, leave them at home.

2. Keep costumes simple and try them out on the dog in advance so that they can get used to it.

3. Match attire to your dog’s style. For example, our dog would not have been happy wearing a tutu or a big frilly bow. (And, he would have looked ridiculous…)

4. Assign a responsible person to be his primary care during the big day (pick up/drop off dog, walk and water, lead him down aisle). Provide instructions (and perhaps dog treats?!) in case your pet starts barking during the ceremony etc.

5. If you are a control freak and you can’t accept the unexpected, you might want to leave animals out of the proceedings (humans are hard enough to control, after all!).

6. If he’s the ring bearer, perhaps let someone else actually carry the wedding ring.

danforthdiamond.com

danforthdiamond.com

Furry Fashions

These Dog Wedding Tuxedos are only $28.95 from Advantagebridal.com. I like how they are designed – they won’t restrict your dog’s movement so they shouldn’t make him feel too weird (particularly if you have a dog that’s already accustomed to wearing clothing…).

advantagebridal.com

advantagebridal.com

This dress is very cute and suits this pretty little dog perfectly. It’s available at sassypup.net for only $39.99.
sassypup.net

sassypup.net

For an elegant, more subtle look for your dog, you could buy this satin collar and bow tie from dogdressonline for only $12.00.
formal3
Another option would be to place a wreath of flowers around your dog’s neck – simple and natural – matching to the bouquets.
We took the less expensive do-it-yourself option because we had problems finding something suitable for our dog that was durable, the right size, and not too expensive. We went to a thrift store with his neck measurement and purchased a used white dress shirt and bow tie. My mom cut the collar off and hemmed the edges. The existing button on the collar, with the bow tie (elastic neck band) over top, fastened around his neck. We made cuffs from the shirt cuffs, too, but Buddy didn’t like them (he walked around like a show pony when he had them on) so we didn’t use them.
we love you Buddy

we love you Buddy

For tips about wilder wedding parties, please see my previous article: Wild Weddings: Animals.

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