Shelter Puppies Are the Best ‘Bouquets’ for This Bridal Party
Dogs are becoming frequent features at weddings, as couples decide they need to feature these important family members in the celebration of their union. But recently we’ve also seen some couples incorporate animals that don’t even belong to them into the party. This is not just because they’re some cute must-have accessory, mind you, but because the couples wanted to help shelter dogs find their forever homes.
In September, bride Sarah Malouk Crain organized one of the cutest wedding shoots on record. The trainer and board member of Pitties Love Peace in central Pennsylvania asked her bridesmaids to set aside their bouquets and pick up an 8-week-old coon-hound-boxer pup. The puppies — named after first ladies Martha, Abigail, Dolley, Elizabeth, and Louisa — had been raised at Pitties Love Peace since they were a week old, according to the Dodo. Crain herself held a 9-week-old pit bull pup from Brooklyn appropriately named Biggie Smalls. The groomsmen also got a turn, because how could they not?
“My days are spent rescuing, training, or rehabilitating dogs, so it only seemed fitting that I needed to include some on our big day,” Crain told the Huffington Post.
Not only did she bring extra attention to the shelter dogs in need of a home, but she also got some amazing photos out of the deal.
“While photographing six rambunctious puppies definitely brought an added challenge, it also caused the bridal party to be more at ease,” photographer Caroline Logan told Yahoo Style. “Having something to divert attention from that uncomfortable, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m getting my picture taken … what do I do with my hands?!’ feeling to pure puppy bliss made for relaxed photos where the bridal party was able to focus on interacting with the fun-loving puppies as I documented it all unfold.”
In July, Shahr Nouraini and Peter Rushton, a couple who wed in Mexico, had the chance to “hire” local rescue dogs to film their wedding with GoPro cameras.
“Our guests absolutely loved the dogs, and a few have even said they would like to integrate something similar into their own weddings,” Nouraini said on her photographer’s blog.
Should you decide to hop aboard this adorable trend, it’s wise to heed the advice of event planner Brita Olsen and consider the dog’s temperament. “If you have a dog that jumps up on the table, you shouldn’t bring it to your wedding,” she told Yahoo Style. “The dogs that do the best are the ones that are able to just sit at your feet and hang out and just stay close. If you worry about your dog running off, you shouldn’t even consider it.”
That’s actually why using puppies just for a separate photo shoot works well.
“Thankfully there was no puppy drama, no accidents, and no dresses harmed in the making of the photos,” Logan said.
When the photos are done, the dogs can be taken away to a more comfortable, appropriate location while the humans go about their partying. “It’s kind of hard to have a dance party with a dog — although I’ve done it,” Olsen said.
If you’d like a pup or a grown-up dog of your own — for much more than a photo shoot — Pitties Love Peace is accepting adoption applications.
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