34 Meaningful Ways to Honor a Pet at Your Wedding
If you're a proud pet owner, you treat your animals like family. So, what better way to honor them than to include them in one of the happiest days of your life? While some couples choose to bring their pets along to the wedding as guests (some brides and grooms even go so far as to have them walk down the aisle!), others choose to incorporate their pets in other ways. Whichever route you go, know that there are so many ways to highlight your two- or four-legged friend on the big day.
Ahead, you'll find inspiration from real pet lovers' weddings. From tiny animal-inspired trinkets to pet-inspired wedding décor, there are countless ways to personalize your event with the help of your dog, cat, horse, bird, fish, or other pet. Take these cocktail napkins (designed by Lichen Ink), for example. Not only did they contain the names of the couple's signature drinks—which were named after their beloved dogs—but they also featured drawings of the pets, too.
If an illustration of your beloved pet doesn't feel like big enough of a way to honor them during the big day, that might be a sign you need to take the plunge and bring them along. Before you finalize your plans, be sure to check with your venue to see if there are any animal restrictions—and make sure your pet has everything he or she needs (including a diligent pet-sitter!) at the event. Keeping them comfortable will only make you appreciate their (well-behaved) presence even more. As any animal-loving couple knows, there's no better comfort than having your pet by your side.
Dog Invitations
Invitations lend themselves well to personalization. A picture of the couple's dog was brought to life in a beautiful vintage style on this suite by Amanda Day Rose.
:35 Ideas for Unique Wedding Invitations
Cat Stickers
Decorate take-home bags with custom stickers featuring your pet's face. This bride got creative and made these stickers—which she used to elevate these sweet gifts—using My Sticker Face.
Dog Koozie
Koozies, complete with an illustration of your beloved pet, make for great favors that your guests will actually use. These blue versions were made by the graphic designers at Mariée Ami; the pros also included the couple's names on the other side for an added personal touch.
:50 Creative Wedding Favors That Will Delight Your Guests
Personal Menu
Make like these newlyweds and offer more than one pet-inspired beverage. This unique menu was illustrated by Boarding School Collective. We're giving the couple bonus points for one drink's name, which featured an adorable play on words.
Pet Pocket Square
If your dog can't make it to your big day, find another creative way to bring them with you down the aisle. This pocket square, complete with a cartoon of the couple's dog by Snapfish, will help your groom keep his best friend close.
Horse Table Numbers
As a paradoxical homage to your larger furry friends—in this case, horses!—display mini animal busts as table numbers. A to Zinnias draped white blooms and eucalyptus over this horse head and marked the larger leaves with the respective table number.
:The Prettiest Wedding Table Number Ideas from Real Weddings
Pet Seating Chart
An easy way to incorporate more than one pet into your wedding? Use each furry friend as table numbers. Wildwood Paper designed this seating chart by drawing each dog on separate pieces of paper.
:25 Unique Wedding Seating Charts to Guide Guests to Their Tables
Horse Escorts
Make sure your pets are dressed to the nines for their walk down the aisle. This couple brought their two horses with them on their big day and dressed them in floral collars made by Olive Willow Designs.
Signature Cocktail
Create a signature drink in your pet's honor to serve up during your cocktail hour. This couple created "The Miss Kitty" for their sip of the day. Miss Design Berry then recreated a portrait of their cat on the drink menu.
:35 Signature Drinks That Will Personalize Your Cocktail Hour
Cat Menu
We're loving these graphic black-and-white cat menus. A gold feline figurine added a metallic contrast to the unique stationery.
Doggie Bags
Take the phrase "doggie bag" literally, like this couple did. They DIYed these small paper favor bags with a picture of their dog on the front.
Horse Trinket
Embellish a place setting with a pet-inspired trinket à la this tiny white horse. The figurine not only added a feeling of elegance to this tabletop by Larissa Cleveland, but also acted as vintage favors for attendees.
:The Prettiest Place Settings from Real Celebrations
Cat Ring Holder
Keep your rings safe before your big day in a whimsical, cat-shaped holder.
Horse Seal
Looking for a reason to interject your love of animals into your stationery design? Take a note from this couple who used a Backtozero's stamp to seal off their suites with a simple image of a horse.
Illustrated Napkins
Bring your pet's likeness to life in elegant gold foil to really show off how much they mean to you. These cocktail napkins by On Three Designs did just that (and came with a dog-inspired witty phrase!).
Horseshoe
Not only do horseshoes symbolize luck, but they also perfectly represent an equestrian's passion for the animal. This couple placed rustic horseshoes on top of each of their place settings.
:24 Creative Ways to Set Your Reception Tables
Feline Guest
Bring your pet along on your big day just like this bride. It will make getting ready even more special.
Painted Napkins
Note the clever phrases on these cocktail napkins by Janice Blair. The artist recreated the couple's pet cat on the napkins seen here.
Card Holder
While pets serve as great illustrations for your table numbers, they also look great holding them up, too. Just look to this gold card holder that the bride picked out for her special day.
Doggie Drinks
If you can't think of names for your custom brews, then just look to your pets. This couple created the "Stella" and the "Stanley" in honor of their two dogs.
Dog Water Bottles
Ensure your guests stay hydrated by passing around water bottle during your reception and ceremony. Bonus points if they have a picture of your furry friend on them.
Cat Cake Topper
Top your cake with something that represents both your love for each other and passion for your pets. The bakers at Highland Springs Ranch & Inn added this cat-friendly topper to this three-tier confection.
:25 Unique Wedding Cake Toppers
Cat Table Number
Personalize your wedding with graphic table numbers depicting your favorite pet. This cat-loving duo created these themselves.
Dog Photo
As far as table numbers go, we think this is one of the most creative we've seen. The newlyweds took photos of their dog sporting each number and framed them.
:Creative Ways to Display Photos at Your Wedding
Cat Place Card
Mark attendees' spots with a laser-cut silhouette of your feline friend.
Pet-Inspired Swizzle Sticks
Embellish your signature drink by adding a pet-inspired swizzle stick. This couple gave a nod to their pup Maximillion with adorable drink stirrers that looked just like him.
:Fun Swizzle Sticks to Upgrade Your Signature Drink
Pet-Patterned Menus
These menu cards by Katie Fischer Design feature illustraitions of this couple's pet cat.
:Pretty and Unexpected Wedding Menu Ideas
Pup Welcome Sign
Welcome your guests with your pup as a symbolic co-host. This couple had an illustration of their golden retriever wearing a dapper bow tie on their welcoming banner that read, "Welcome to my parents' wedding."
:Creative Wedding Signs That Will Welcome or Direct Your Guests
Dog Cake Topper
Swap out that traditional cake topper with a miniature of your pup. A life-like figurine of this couple's labrador, Moose, topped their five-tier wedding cake made by Park Hotel Vitznau.
Hot Drink Cups
Warm your guests' hearts (and hands!) with hot drink paper cups that feature a sweet illustration of your pup. This duo also offered cups emblazoned with their custom wedding crest; together, they served as a nod to their entire family (dog and human!).
Throw Pillows
Personalize the lounge spaces at your reception with custom throw pillows featuring your pet. This couple chose vintage woodcut illustrations, including one of a poodle that honored their dog, Mollie, printed on pillows by Spoonflower.
Pet-Branded Bubble Tea
Delight your guests with bubble tea for an after-dinner treat. This couple also branded their to-go cups with their pups' faces.
Wedding Favors
Send guests off with memorable favors stamped with your dog's likeness. At this woodsy, Northern California wedding, a basket held hand-stamped, kraft paper bags filled with packets of redwood seedlings.
Family Crest
Modernize your family crest by including your pet. Tenn Hens created this couple's wedding invitations, which featured the groom's family crest updated with the couple's dog on top of the design.