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Updated Oct 02, 2024How to Hire a Wedding Pet Attendant for Your Fur Family
Want to include your furry family members in your day, but curious about the logistics? Hire a pet attendant to save the day.
If one of your most beloved companions is a pet, you may hope to include them in your wedding day. Of course, it's safe to say you'll be more than distracted with your own to-dos and enjoyment of your day. This is why couples consider hiring a wedding pet attendant—a professional who cares for your pet during your wedding day. Not only does including your pet in your wedding make for sweet photos, but pets often have a way of brightening everyone's day—even your guests. Plus, having your furry friend by your side can also be quite calming for you.
A wedding pet sitter provides a safe and comfortable environment for your pet. They are also tasked with managing the pet's needs, ensuring they are where they need to be during the ceremony and assisting them in any wedding activities, such as being a ring bearer or appearing in portraits, explains Jenny DeMarco, wedding photographer and owner of Jenny DeMarco Photography based in Austin, Texas. "The pet attendant also handles the pet's care before, during and after the event, facilitating pet sitting or transportation home once their participation is over."
As the trend of pet inclusion in weddings grows, so does the demand for dedicated pet sitters. Couples seeking to involve their furry friends in their special day often turn to professionals to ensure their pets are comfortable and cared for amidst the wedding festivities. Luckily, you can find pet-friendly venues —some that even offer a pet sitter on-site—right on The Knot Vendor Marketplace. Here, we asked experts to help couples navigate the process of finding the perfect wedding pet attendant for their furry friend.
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In this article: What's a Wedding Pet Attendant? | Cost | How Long to Hire | How to Hire | Pet Attendants to Know
What Is a Wedding Pet Attendant?
A wedding pet attendant is a professional who cares for your pets during your wedding day so you can fully immerse yourself in the wedding festivities without worrying about their well-being. Wedding pet attendants typically handle a variety of tasks, including transporting the pet to the venue, ensuring their safety throughout the event and providing playtime and companionship. While the concept of dedicated pet care for weddings is still emerging, it has gained significant traction in recent years, with more couples seeking specialized services for their furry loved ones, explains expert planner Taryn Blake, founder of Taryn Blake Events in York, Pennsylvania.
Wedding Pet Attendant Cost
The cost of hiring a wedding pet attendant can vary widely based on several factors including geographic location, the number of pets the attendant needs to care for, the hours of service as well as any additional tasks such as transportation and grooming. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 or more plus vendor tip for a wedding pet attendant's services, according to Kate Reavey, owner and lead planner of Cygnet Events and Design based in Chicago, Illinois.
How Long to Hire a Pet Attendant for a Wedding?
There are several variables when it comes to the timeframe for which you'll need a pet wedding attendant. In general, it's a smart idea to hire them for at least six hours, according to photographer Craig Peterman, owner of Craig Peterman Photography & Videography in Phoenix, Arizona. "This would cover the pre-ceremony events and all the important moments at the reception," he says. "By the time dinner is finished and the dance floor is open, your pet will probably be exhausted and ready for bed."
How to Hire a Wedding Pet Attendant
As you consider wedding pet attendants, keep these aspects in mind.
Define Your Needs
First, figure out the role you want your pet to play at your wedding. Will they only be in photos? Will they be part of your ceremony? Will they make an appearance at the reception? Consider your pet's temperament and comfort level with crowds as you make this decision as well as the specific tasks you'll want your wedding pet attendant to take on.
Research Potential Candidates
"As this service becomes more popular it will be so important to do the research before trusting someone with your furry family member, so take the time to do an intake call to meet the owner or the person who would be responsible for your pet," says Loni Peterson, expert planner and founder of LP Creative Events based in Arvada, Colorado. "You should also take a look at past client reviews and see if they were satisfied, how the pet attendant handled a potential issue and if there are any pics of happy clients—that is always a bonus."
A great place to start searching for a wedding pet attendant is The Knot Vendor Marketplace. Look up reviews from previous couples, browse photos and reach out to the vendor directly to start a conversation.
Interview Them In Person
The benefit of interviewing a wedding pet sitter in person isn't only for you to feel more comfortable with them, but also for your pet to get to know them as well. "If your pet instinctively decides they don't like your sitter, that's going to be a problem," says Peterman. "Building rapport ahead of time can help ensure success."
Outline the Day-Of Details
Talk with your planner and photographer to determine when your pet is needed and what time to arrive and make sure that these details are clearly communicated to your wedding dog sitter. "The more information and better prepared the sitter is, the more comfortable your fur friend will be," says Penny Haas, owner of event planning company Penny Haas in Nashville, Tennessee.
Trust Their Abilities and Enjoy Your Big Day
Last but not least, trust your pro. "I know it is hard to hand the leash over to anyone else who isn't you to look after your puppers, but trust that they are going to put your pup first and take care of them as their own," says Peterson. "You have booked this service to reduce your stress, make sure your dogs are going to enjoy the day as well, and so that you can have your entire family present on your wedding day."
Wedding Pet Attendants to Know
Here are some wedding pet attendants you might want to consider hiring for your wedding day.
Furever Us—Wedding Pet Care in Miami, Florida
This wedding day pet sitter service based in South Florida provides specialized pet care tailored to the unique demands of wedding days, including pet concierge, which covers everything from pre-wedding consultations to post-wedding care, full transportation, on-site pet care and supervision, pet styling and even photography and videography specifically of your pet. Furever Us has several packages to accommodate a range of budgets and has excellent reviews.
For the Love of Paws in Holliston, Massachusetts
Based in Holliston, Massachusetts and serving the New England area, this pet wedding attendant specializes in helping couples celebrate their day with and without their furry friends. For the Love of Paws offers on-site pet care, pet transportation, pet grooming and styling and even pet training to help your pet prep for special roles in your wedding, like flower girl or ring bearer.
I Dog Too—Wedding Pet Attendant in Los Angeles, California
If you love their business name, you'll love what they do even more. LA-based I Dog Too supervises your pet throughout your wedding, provides safe and comfortable transportation, offers grooming and styling as well as pet photography and videography and even helps train your pet and manage behaviors so they're comfortable in your wedding environment.
Wedding Day Wags in Beaver, Pennsylvania
Based in Beaver, Pennsylvania, this dedicated wedding pet attendant takes weddings seriously. Wedding Day Wags specializes in caring for pets, covering all the necessary transportation, on-site pet care, walking, feedings, coordination with vendors and more. They work across Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Eastern Ohio and have rave reviews for giving pet parents peace of mind on their wedding day.
