Incorporating Pets at Your Wedding Made Pawsible by For the Love of Paws

As many couples plan their wedding they find themselves wanting to incorporate their furry friends into the day, whether for the ceremony or reception. It’s only natural to want to be surrounded by those who love you (and you love), but when it comes to pets, it can be a responsibility for a guest or other family member who isn’t prepared for it, which is why we love the idea of hiring a pet sitter and Boston’s own For the Love of Paws makes it pawsible! So we sat down with them to learn a bit about the experience.

If your pets involved in your wedding, For the Love of Paws has your back.

Founded in November of 2018, the owner Danielle was between jobs and looking for something fun to do, turns out she found a whole business for herself. She explains, “I was in that season of life where everyone was getting engaged. I started thinking about when I was going to get married and how I needed my dogs to be there. I started looking online to see if there was a service that offered what I was looking for and found one company in Australia! I messaged her on Facebook asking how she got started and if she had any advice for me. She was so wonderful and told me to just go for it! I started For the Love of Paws the next day and the rest is history. Seeing how happy our clients are on their wedding day is what makes my job amazing. I love seeing their smiles when their pup(s) walk in. There truly is no better feeling than walking in with the dog of honor!”

For the Love of Paws is unique in that they have professional dog trainers on their team and truly know dogs inside and out. They offer top-notch quality and care to ensure that all of their clients' pets are well taken care of. Yes, that means they are  licensed, insured, and CPR certified.

Incorporating Pets into the Wedding

Some ways to include pets into the ceremony are in photos, in the ceremony, with a special first look, at the cocktail hour as a guest of honor, or as a signature cocktail. But in Danielle’s experience, most couples include their pets into both their photos and ceremony. It is about a 50/50 split on having their pet (pups, especially) stay up at the altar during the vows after their big walk. And for their walk, most couples opt for having a family member or friend walk their pet down the aisle, but some may opt for a solo descent down the aisle. Regardless of how the couple wants to have their pet walk down, at For the Love if Paws a 30 minute pre-ceremony practice session is always included. This is time set aside right before the ceremony to have the pet practice walking down the aisle and get familiar with the space.

And when they’re not in on the action, their humans get to see memories from their pet’s point of view thanks to the digital age and Instagram! Danielle explains, “Every couple gets their own Instagram highlight story and reel of the behind-the-scenes from the day. We are by no means professionals when it comes to photography or videography, but we do our best to capture some wonderful moments!”

Let’s Talk Attire

At For the Love of Paws, all team members wear black and dress professionally, so there’s never a question of fitting in (or sticking out) at the event. Typically team members wear jumpsuits or pants with a nice top; and thanks to their “go bag” they’re prepared with items they may need on the spot too. And while that’s all well and good, what about pet attire, you may be wondering. Fear not, they’re covered too! For the Love of Paws offers a pet attire service. At the onset, couples will be asked what they are looking for and the team will put together a bunch of options to choose from, whether a bow tie, bow, bandana, or anything else. Once the look is locked down, For the Love of Paws will go ahead and purchase the item, shopping small businesses all over who can customize just about anything, ship it to the couple in time for their meet and greet and it will be theirs to keep!

Services, Packages, and Pricing

For the Love of Paws offers 3 base packages: Ruby, Platinum, and Diamond. They start at $450 and range all the way up to $1,200. These packages can be customized to fit the needs of the couple. The Ruby package is a 2.5 hour package with 1 hour of complimentary travel round trip. The Platinum package, their most popular, is a 4.5 hour package with 2 hours of complimentary travel round trip and complimentary pet attire. The Diamond package is a 6.5 hour package with completely complimentary travel, complimentary pet attire and includes the engagement session package.

What makes the Platinum package so popular? Couples typically like to have their pet there for the photos and ceremony while leaving some time to also have a walk and be fed dinner afterwards.

And remember, while their home state is Massachusetts, they are soon opening a location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — and they travel all over the country!

Ready to Have Your Pet in Your Wedding? 🐾

The best way to contact For the Love of Paws is to submit an inquiry through their website or simply send them an email at fortheloveofpawsboston@gmail.com. And don’t forget to follow along on their Instagram for all the good furry feels @fortheloveofpawsss !

Photos courtesy of For the Love of Paws

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