ABIA Notebook: Wedding Dog, Cat and Pet Ideas and Inspiration
They’re the epitome of unconditional love and devotion, so including your beloved dog, cat or furry friend in your big day makes ‘purr-fect’ sense. From pet-friendly venues, to wedding dog outfits and sitters, we sniff out the latest ideas and inspiration for a wedding day involving pets.
At The Old Dairy Maleny | Matthew Gillam Photography
For many couples wedding 'paw-fection' is having their cat or dog in attendance, and wedding venues and vendors are rising to the occasion, embracing ‘op-paw-tunities’ to pamper and pander to furry guests. Think pet-friendly ceremony, reception and accommodation spaces, symbolic cake toppers and embellishments, on-the-day minding, and fetching cat and dog wedding attire and accessories — like floral crowns, luxe leads, cute collars and bark-worthy bow ties — that’ll have them looking adorable in those wedding photographs.
Compiled by Tanya Bywater of ABIA Weddings Australia | April 2024
Dog and cat wedding attire
Shop at Sass Hound
Adhere to the wedding dress code, with Sass Hound’s range of pet formal wear and custom velvet tux harnesses.
Image courtesy Sass Hound
Pet wedding cake topper
Order at Personalised Favours
Request a custom-designed cake topper, from Personalised Favours, and represent you pet on your wedding cake, whether they’re a dachshund, St Bernard, Burmese or alligator.
Image Stories With Mel
Custom pet cuff links
Made by Pawfect Love
Wear your heart on your sleeve, quite literally. Pawfect Love custom pet cuff links, individually hand-sculpted using your faithful companion’s photo as a reference.
Julian Guevara Photography
Wedding pet sitter
Book at Wedding Paws
Ensure they’re well looked after, by hiring a cat or dog wedding day pet assistant like Amy Christie of Wedding Paws, who’ll dress them up, transport them to the ceremony, guide them through their wedding role and photo calls, and see their every need is catered for.
Folk Lane Photo
Wooden pet tag
Order at Personalised Favours
Let Fido or Felix stand out and make a statement, in an engraved wooden wedding neck sign from Personalised Favours.
Image courtesy Personalised Favours
Wedding pet practicalities
Shop at Bourke St. The Label
Because nature calls even on special occasions — white vegan leather Bourke St. doggy waste bag holder.
Image courtesy Bourke St. The Label
Wedding pet flower collar
Made by Hanks Fur Friends
Remember some flowers and greenery can be problematic for animals, so pick a paw- and pet-friendly faux-flower wedding pet collar, like this one handcrafted by Hanks Fur Friends, to include your pup or moggy in the bridal party.
Image courtesy Hanks Fur Friends
Wedding pet stay
Book Woodburn Homestead
Provided they’re house-trained, and by arrangement, dogs and cats are welcome to stay for the wedding ceremony, reception and in the beautifully-appointed onsite accommodation at Woodburn Homestead, at Langhorne Creek, South Australia.
Wild Boho Weddings
Pet cake figurine
Made by Pawfect Love
To make your cutest companion the star of your wedding cake just send photos, and Pawfect Love will hand-sculpt a miniature pet figurine to add to your cake design.
Goldlight Photography
Wedding dog lead
Shop at Bourke St. The Label
Rein supreme — this elegant Bourke St. bridal lead combines a classic bow in white pebbled vegan leather, a padded ring handle and gold-toned finishing.
Pet ring carrier
Shop at Sass Hound
Help your Dog-of-Honour, fluffy bridesmaid or furry best man carry wedding rings safely in a clip-on ring bearer pouch, teamed with a matching bow-tie, from Sass Hound.
Image courtesy Sass Hound
Pet photo charm
Created by Svenstudios
Keep your favourite pet close during special moments, with the deluxe oval charm — featuring their image ringed in rhinestones, in gold or silver tones, and attached with a bejewelled pin — by Svenstudios.
Image courtesy Svenstudios
Wedding pet flower crown
Made by Hanks Fur Friends
Seek out pet-friendly wedding flowers for doggies and moggies, like this faux-floral pet crown, handmade by Hanks Fur Friends.
Image courtesy Hanks Fur Friends
Pet-approved wedding venue
Book Gabbinbar Homestead
Book a pet-friendly wedding venue and furry, feathered or scaly friends will be welcomed in various ways — at Gabbinbar Homestead, in Toowoomba Queensland, that can mean an invitation to the ceremony, reception and even inside the historic homestead for wedding preparation.
Allume Weddings
Pet wedding cake ideas
Design by Bon Appe-Sweet
Have some fun with your wedding cake, by showcasing your pet at their cheeky best, like the digging dog in this Bon Appe-Sweet wedding cake creation.
Image courtesy Bon Appe-Sweet
Personalised pet bowl
Order from Personalised Favours
Elevate your pet’s wedding food and beverage experience — the engraved white stainless steel dog bowl, from Personalised Favours, can be customised with their name.
Image courtesy Personalised Favours
Pet wedding charm
Made by Pawfect Love
Hold your pet close with a bridal charm of your little friend, individually crafted by Pawfect Love, to represent them.
Image Dan Evans Photography
Pets on honeymoon
With Virgin Australia
Tell your dog or cat to pack their bags. Virgin Australia recently announced plans to allow some pets to fly ‘in cabin’ on select domestic flights. Final regulatory approval is still pending, but it shouldn’t be too long before you can book an Australian honeymoon and bring your pet along for the ride.
By sharing the latest wedding ideas and trends, our intention is to inspire and inform, but Notebook inclusions are not necessarily endorsed by ABIA, or its employees, and readers should make their own enquiries to determine the products and services best suited to their needs.
With more than 600,000 reviews collected from real-life wedding couples ABIA has established itself as one of Australia's most trusted wedding planning resources. For engaged couples the ABIA Directory is the ideal place to start planning a wedding. It offers ratings and recommendations, supplied by recently-married couples, on a range of wedding services and wedding vendors located across Australia, including venues, celebrants, photographers, caterers, decorators, florists, planners and coordinators, transport providers, hair stylists, make-up artists, videographers, cake designers, live music and even dance teachers and photo booth hire. On the ABIA site couples will also find the latest updates, ideas and wedding inspiration, with articles detailing everything from sustainable wedding suggestions to gift ideas, destination wedding venues, multi-day wedding planning and the best honeymoon destinations in Australia. There's even an online wedding registry that allows guests to contribute to an experience or honeymoon. In short, it's a must-visit for the future bride or groom, or anyone else planning a wedding.
