Arden Moore

Couples share an important day with their pets.

Howling mutt-rimony! Rover, Fido, and the gang are getting into the act when their human companions get married.

“People are more and more treating their pets as children — part of the family — and are increasingly including them in their wedding ceremonies,” says Wendy Diamond, editorial director of Animal Fair Magazine, a lifestyle magazine for styleconscious animal lovers.

“I find that about 30 percent of my weddings involve pets,” says Los Angeles wedding planner Mindy Weiss, who has coordinated the happy occasion for numerous celebrities. “I think it would be more, but a lot of venues do not allow animals.” Tori Spelling’s dogs served as flower girl and ring bearer, and Adam Sandler’s dogs Matzoball (pulled down the aisle in a wagon) and Meatball served those same roles, respectively.

“Several of my brides and grooms treat their pets like their children and would not consider them not being a part of the big day,” Weiss says.

Likewise, Monica Hickey — who has created custom bridal designs for Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Kleinfeld in New York and is now fashion director of Bridal News Network — has been to many a wedding that incorporated dogs, including that of writer Kurt Vonnegut.

“Dog is man’s best friend,” Hickey says. “Why would you leave it out of the best celebration?” She has observed that wedding guests enjoy seeing a canine walk down the aisle. “They think it’s special,” she notes.

Dogs — and a few cats — are being unleashed to serve as ring bearers, flower pups, and four-legged groomsmen and bridesmaids. Others sit out the wedding and behave like true party animals during receptions.

Animal Magnetism

“Pets are part of the family, so I say why not include them in your wedding?” says Alice Moon-Fanelli, a certified applied animal behaviorist and assistant professor at Tufts University in North Grafton, Mass. “Including pets is a statement of solidarity by the couple who mutually agree that the pet plays a major role in both of their lives. If my husband, John, and I were to exchange our vows again, I definitely would want our dog, Pan, to be a ring bearer.”

Newlyweds Kim and Stephen Boyle agree. Last June, they made sure that Belle, their beloved Alaskan malamute, sported a pink, bejeweled collar during their reception held at the pet-welcoming La Quinta Resort & Club.

The Manhattan Beach couple purposely picked that locale due to fond memories generated there during their five-year courtship. Their reception was held with the resort’s waterfall and garden in the background.

“Before we got married, we both decided we wanted a dog and discovered the perfect breed for us: malamutes,” says Kim, a marketing director. “Belle was the runt of the litter, and we fell in love with her face. She is so sweet and gentle and will do anything for food.”

The Boyles considered having Belle participate in the outdoor wedding ceremony; but at the time, she was just six months old. She also sports a thick double black-and white coat. “Weather-wise, we felt it was best to leave Belle in the air-conditioned hotel room during the ceremony and then have her join us at the reception in the enclosed area as the sun was going down,” Stephen says.

The couple smartly fed Belle just before letting her loose at the reception, and the well-trained pup didn’t hound guests for table scraps. She even resisted the temptation to dive in the pool.

“We’re both in our 40s, and this was a small, intimate wedding for family and close friends,” Stephen says. “We all had a great time, including Belle.”

Some canine-loving couples wouldn’t think about exchanging “I dos” without a tail-wagging pal in attendance. Myra and John Pugh, oyster farmers and lifelong residents of Juneau, Alaska, brought their dog, Joy, a 75-pound Akita-German shepherd mix, to their favorite desert getaway to get married a few years ago. Sporting a collar of red roses and greenery, Joy strolled down the aisle as a bridesmaid accompanied by groomsman Kevin Dau. She wagged her tail in approval as the couple married at Rancho Las Palmas Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

“Joy is one in a million, extremely brilliant,” Myra says. “She is a huge part of our life. During the wedding, she didn’t bark once. I think she knew that this was serious stuff.”

Joy stayed in an air-conditioned hotel room rather than partake in the reception, but she didn’t seem to mind. She got plenty of visitors. “Luckily, our condo was close to the country club,” Myra says. “Johnny and I left the reception to let her out and discovered that some of our groomsmen had already done it.”

Rev. Janice Stamper says the Pugh wedding marked the first time she officiated a wedding that included a dog since becoming a minister in 1989.

“I thought it was great,” she says. “John and Myra have a great command of their dog. Pets are part of the family, and a wedding is a time of celebration for all.”

Catering to Pet Owners

Dogs included in desert weddings no longer surprise wedding planner Joey Lizotte, who operates Artisan of Cathedral City. He has noticed the trend, particularly involving older couples who have lives that include pets. Lizotte, the proud owner of a pair of golden retrievers, welcomes well-behaved and well-groomed pets.

“It brings a little less formality when a playful dog is there, but I wouldn’t suggest it for everyone,” Lizotte says. “Pets must be well behaved because they can take away from the ceremony. None of the weddings I’ve been involved with has had any doggie disasters. It is as if they can sense the formality of the event and are on their best behaviors.”

Let’s not overlook feline friends. Lizotte helped organize one recent wedding at a home in La Quinta in which a bridesmaid patiently held a gray-and-white cat during the vows.“This was a very sweet cat, who was very quiet during the ceremony,” Lizotte notes.

Nationally, no figures are available, but the concept of pets in weddings seems to be embraced and encouraged. It has sparked a new industry for these formal event-attending pets. Caye Serling co-owns Chez Puppy (www.chezpuppy.com), a company created in 1998 with her sister Leigh and childhood pal Gayle Garren to celebrate the bond between people and their pets by offering gourmet treats, toys, and other canine accessories. The company, based in Florida and California, donates a portion of all sales to animal rescue groups and other humane animal organizations.

“It is only natural to make dogs part of family traditions and events like weddings,” Serling says.

Charming Pet Products (www.charmingpetcharms.com), a designer and manufacturer of jewelry and accessories for pets, takes pet fashion to the next level with wedding-inspired collars, tiaras, and pooch pearls.

Annemarie Juhlian, a nondenominational minister who marries couples in the Seattle, Wash., area, specializes in personalized weddings through her company, Northwest Ceremonies.

“In the past two years, I’ve officiated five weddings with ‘wedding dogs,’” she says. “When couples want to include their beloved dogs in their wedding ceremonies, I’m all for it. Couples are getting more creative. They are trying to make their ceremony reflect what their life is about, and often that includes their dogs.”

Doggie Wedding Tips

To ensure your wedding truly doesn’t go to the dogs, here are some helpful tips provided by top pet experts and wedding planners:

Phone first. Find out if the site of the wedding or reception allows pets. If you’re getting married out of town, book reservations at pet-welcoming hotels and resorts.

Consult the guest list. Key members of the wedding party — including the officiant, bridesmaids, and groomsmen — should be comfortable around pets.

Resist puppy love. Unless you can have someone serve as a reliable canine chaperone, puppies younger than 6 months old can be wiggly and unpredictable.

Test the temperament. Make sure your pet is comfortable around strangers and new surroundings. No one wants a canine ring bearer growling at the best man or barking over the wedding vows.

Heed canine commands. Canine members of the wedding should be trained to follow basic instructions: “Come,” “Sit,” “Stay,” “Down,” “Wait,” and “Quiet.”

Include pets during rehearsals. This helps them get used to the surroundings and what will happen during the ceremony.

Pick pet-friendly fashion. Test bows, flower-laced collars, or other accessories before the event to ensure your pet will tolerate them. Avoid floral arrangements that contain wires for bouquets or corsages or toxic plants, such as lilies, daffodils, and hydrangeas.

Avoid chowhounds. Dogs can get sick if they accidentally sip from your aunt’s champagne flute or sniff out a piece of chocolate wedding cake.

Get them ready. Dogs should be walked and well exercised before the wedding and be taken for bathroom breaks.

Employ canine bribery. Provide treats that the photographer can dole out to your dog when posing with the wedding party.

Canine Delights

As much as you would like to have your dog join you in a slice of wedding cake, their canine stomachs are best suited for dogfriendly treats. Here is a sample of offerings from Bones-n-Scones owner Kathy Hart in Palm Springs (www.bonesnscones.com) sure to get tails wagging after vows have been exchanged:

Health Mutt Cookie: a wholesome wheat-free treat made with rice flour, bananas, applesauce, and flax seeds.

5-Star Mutt Buffet: a tasty assortment of meaty “mutt loaf” made with turkey, yams, and green peas.

Mutta Mia Pasta and Muttballs: made with organic turkey meat, durum semolina noodles, tomato sauce, and natural spices to bring out the Italian in your dog.

“For one wedding in Indio, the best man ordered a cake for the dogs who were participating in the wedding,” Hart says. “We delivered a beef liver-flavored cake to the reception.”