Doggy wedding chaperones: Helping furry family members move owners past puppy love

Sarah O'Flaherty and her husband Barry and dogs Penelope and Delilah

Dogs running down the aisle to their owners, styling it out in the photo shoot afterwards, doing a meet-and-greet with wedding guests. Scenes like these are being played out across the country as couples are increasingly including their furry friends in their big day.

But who’s minding the dogs, making sure they don’t upstage the bride and groom or cause chaos during the ceremony? That’s down to the growing number of dog wedding chaperones in Ireland, a job that likely didn’t even exist three years ago.

Joe Griffin, from Bishopstown in Cork, started up Joe’s Happy Tails, a dog walking and minding service two years ago initially as a side hustle.

“I did my first dog wedding chaperone two years ago. I hadn’t been advertising it as a service then, in fact, I didn’t even know it was a thing, but I was approached by a couple who wanted to have their two dachshunds — Penelope and Delilah — at their wedding. And I thought ‘go on. I’ll give it a go, and it’ll be a story to tell’. It was an outdoor wedding in Ballymaloe, and it was really brilliant.”

Noel and Lyndsey Sheehan's dog Bruce running down the aisle.

Since that first wedding, Griffin took voluntary redundancy from his job in IT and now runs Joe’s Happy Tails full time. 

He regularly chaperones dogs to their owners’ weddings and sees it as a growing part of his business. “It’s definitely a trend that’s lining up with the move away from traditional church weddings.”

It was a similar story for Aoife Donegan and her business Give the Paw based in Laois. She added a dog wedding chaperone service — Pawdates — in 2023 and is currently chaperoning dogs to at least one wedding in the Leinster area every month.

Her first wedding, New Year’s Eve in 2023, was a success and she quickly realised it was something couples were looking for. 

“After that New Year’s Eve wedding, I thought this is something I’m going to start doing. It really took off from there, and suddenly I was inundated with calls, everyone wanted to have their dogs at their wedding.” So what does a dog wedding chaperone do on the day of the wedding?

First things first, it’s all about getting the dog ready and looking sharp, says Griffin. “Part of my job is making sure the dog looks their best. I’m not a groomer but I give them a bit of a brush beforehand. Then they might be wearing something like a dickie bow or a flower garland, so I’ll make sure that’s on them and that it looks good (and stays on!).” 

Each wedding, couple and dog are different, so a dog’s role on the day may vary. Typical duties might include bringing the rings down the aisle, taking part in a photo shoot with their owners, and greeting guests after the ceremony.

“I’ll do meet and greet with the couple and their dog beforehand, where we go through what they want, what their expectations are, the times of the different duties, all that. Of course, a lot depends on the dog; if a dog is anxious around a lot of people, I’ll just suggest photography. But if the dog loves people and loves the attention then I’m happy to help them get involved in the ceremony,” says Donegan.

“I’ve done a few weddings where the dog or dogs will bring the rings to the couple by walking, or running, down the aisle. I’ll make sure the dog is nice and calm, and relaxed for that — I’ll have a little treat or two on hand — and at the right time then I’ll let them off to go down the aisle themselves. It usually goes smoothly, but sometimes the dogs can have different ideas, but that’s ok too, and is part of the fun. Once they’ve done their duty then I’ll keep them happy and calm for the rest of the ceremony,” explains Griffin.

John and Isabel Lynch with their dog Polly.

For couples who want their dogs present at their weddings, the photographs are all important. But anyone who has a dog will know it’s not always easy to get them to sit still and pose for a snap, particularly when there are so many people and distractions around.

“The photographs are a big part of the day, and one of my main jobs is to help make sure the photographs with the dog go smoothly. I’ll know the dogs and know how to keep them relaxed, and when or if they need to take a break or go for a short walk,” says Griffin.

For Donegan, the dog is her priority. “If the dog gets overwhelmed, if the dog gets stressed, I’m going to be there as the advocate, the human advocate, for them.” That could be giving the dog a few minutes break or taking them away from a situation where a lot of people are surrounding the dog, she explains.

“With my dog trainer background I don’t want the dogs to be stressed, and of course I want the owners to have lovely photos, so I always come prepared. I have the treats ready. I have the brushes ready,” she laughs. “Look, most owners know their dogs. But if they’re unsure of the situation they’ll talk through it with me, and I’ll say to them, it might get to the stage where your dog needs to go home.”

Dogs won’t be used to meeting so many people at the same time, and just like humans, they can get worn out by small talk.

“After the ceremony there’s often a bit of a meet and greet and people just generally want to come up and meet the dog. I might do that for an hour or so afterwards, but generally, what I find is the dog starts to get a little bit tired. They might look at me like ‘I’ve met 100 people, I’m exhausted’. So most often I’ll take them home at that stage,” says Griffin.

Dermot and Ciara Nolan with their dog Arthur.

Some couples will have their dogs with them for almost the entire wedding, says Donegan. 

“I’ve done some weddings where I’ve been there from 9am to 9pm. Where I’ll be with the dog in the room with the bride, or in the room with the groom, when they’re getting ready and just chilling there with them. And then the dog will have their bed with them and after the ceremony they’ll be with the couple at the top table.” 

Donegan says some couples are also involving their dogs in the ‘first look’ stage of the day, where couples have a few minutes together before the ceremony on the day. 

“They just meet each other before the ceremony. It’s really a private kind of thing, but some couples will have the photographer there to take pictures, and the dog will be there as well.” “It’s funny, on the day, you’re one of the most popular people there because everyone wants to chat to you. They all want to give the dog a rub. And for me, it’s a really happy moment in people’s lives, and to have a role in that is lovely,” says Griffin.

“Usually with couples their family are the ones who mind their dog when they can’t. But when it’s a wedding, with all their family there, they don’t have anyone to mind the dog,” says Donegan.

“That’s where I come in. I want them to have a really easy wedding day where they don’t have to worry about their dog. And after the wedding I’m taking the dog home and staying with them, the dog is comfortable and safe, and the couple can enjoy the rest of their day.”