“Dog-Friendly Weddings”- Prosperity Mansion & Farm- serving Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Baltimore Counties in Maryland: Advice from a Historical, outdoor / garden wedding venue in Maryland-
Dogs are some of the best friends you could ever ask for. Since most people have their best human friends at their wedding, you should be able to have your dog be involved in one of the most important days of your life. Here at Prosperity Mansion & Farm, we adore dogs and are a dog-friendly wedding venue! We want to give you some good ideas on how to include your furry best friend in your wedding!
First things first- Prosperity Mansion & Farm does have its rules. There is a maximum of two dogs allowed. They will be allowed to stay from an hour to an hour and a half both before and after the ceremony, after which someone will need to take them home. We also require a veterinarian’s written confirmation of your dogs’ vaccinations as well as proof of a recent flea and tick treatment. We want your dog to be safe!
Secondly, note that all wedding venues are not dog friendly. Prosperity Mansion & Farm however, gladly welcomes your dog. We want to remind you that if you book with a different venue with the intent of having your dog there, there is a possibility that the venue will not be dog friendly, and we wouldn’t want your pup to miss out! Do not show up with your dog anyways, it will not end well. If a venue has a rule that does not allow dogs, it is likely due to health or legal requirements.
In addition, you should think about your dogs’ temperament. If your dogs do not like strangers or children, it would not be a good idea to include them in the wedding. It’s the same if they get anxious around strangers or children as well. Although not having your dogs would be highly disappointing, it would not be fair on your dogs and the other people involved in your wedding to put a lot of stress on them by including your dogs. Even extremely well trained dogs aren’t used to weddings and may become frightened or startled.
However, if none of that is an issue, there are so many ways that your dog can be an important part of your ceremony. Most people have heard of a dog being the “flower dog” or ring bearer. But there are more options! Your dog can accompany you down the aisle. Some brides have gone further. Some brides have “asked” their dog to be their bridesmaid or even maid of honor and stand with them at the altar. We even have a link to a website that sells dog wedding clothes!
In order for your dog to be a pleasant addition to your wedding but not overshadow you and your future spouse, here is what you should do.
Assign someone to be responsible for your dog(s)
This is going to be the difference between successfully including your dogs in your wedding and failure. As long as someone is assigned to your dogs, you will be able to focus on your big day without having to worry about them, which you should not have to do! So here is what the assigned person will have to do to properly assist with your dogs at your wedding-
The assigned person should not be a bridesmaid or groomsman because they will be far too preoccupied with the many things that they have to do, such as attending to the bride and groom, celebrating, hair and make-up appointments, and pictures. The best candidates would most likely be Ushers and members of the family that are not in the wedding but are trustworthy and will take good care of your dogs. They should have a flexible schedule. It is preferable to choose a handler who adores dogs and will lavish yours with love, attention, and care.
Create a wedding day schedule specifically for your pet and assigned pet handler so that they are easily able to know everything that they need to do and what time they should do certain things, such as-
How they will arrive at the venue- Who will take them? How?
Where will they be stationed throughout the day? Usually, there will be multiple places that the dogs will have to be moved around to in order for everything to go smoothly.
How will you provide them with food and water? When will they be fed? They can’t be going hungry all day!
When will they be taken out for bathroom breaks? You don’t want them to be uncomfortable.
If you’re going to have your dog by your side at the altar, do not trust your dog to walk down the aisle by themselves. Always have someone walk them down, such as the groom, groomsmen, a (human) flower girl or ring bearer, or the assigned handler. The reason for this is that you do not want your dog zooming down the aisle and causing a huge commotion.
Remember, you’re going to be busy, and you won’t be able to be giving your dogs commands, so you’ll need to give them incentives to listen to their assigned handler. Treats will be very helpful to include for your handler so that they can adequately command your dog. Furthermore, your assigned handler will need to be taught key phrases and commands in order to properly care for your dog and get positive responses from your dog.
Finally, we want to highly recommend that you not attach your real wedding rings to your dog even if they are acting as ring bearer. Bad things could happen to the rings if the dog decided to not behave during the ceremony. In any case, your dogs should be a nice addition to the ceremony and not the center of attention. The wedding is about you and your future spouse saying “I do” after all!
So yes, your dogs can be included in your wedding. Here at Prosperity Mansion & Farm, the beautiful outdoor/garden venue in the Frederick, Westminster area, we do happily allow your dogs to be here with you for your big day!
Buy dog wedding clothes here: https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Dog+Wedding+Dress&query2=Dog+Dress&utm_id=380199105&msclkid=9b51f7a07d5d1b292716a82f445305de&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Text%2FDog-Apparel&utm_term=%2Bdog%20%2Bwedding%20%2Bdress&utm_content=Dog%20Dresses
Prosperity Mansion & Farm proudly services:
Frederick, Maryland
Westminster, Maryland
Carroll County, Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Littlestown, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
And more…………..
You can reach us at:
www.prosperity_mansion@yahoo.com
www.prosperitymansion.com
443-350-8100