Katie Preston Toepfer - Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony

2013 by Quirk Productions, Inc.
Front cover photograph 2013 by Simply Bloom Photography, LLC.
Back cover photographs 2013, clockwise from top: D Coleman Photography, Bound By, Paige Elizabeth Inc., bobbi+mike.
Photographs 2013 as noted on .
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2012941735
eISBN: 978-1-59474-668-0
Production management by John J. McGurk

Quirk Books
215 Church St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
quirkbooks.com

v3.1

This book is dedicated to all of the dogs weve loved: youll always be in our hearts.
And for the dogs whom we are yet to love: thanks in advance for the shenanigans.

G ROWING UP IN a family of dog lovers, I spent much of my childhood with dogsrunning around with them, rolling on the floor together, or simply giving them hugs. From a young age, I realized just how incredible these animals were to have as friends.

It always seemed to me that in our family, the dogs chose us. They adopted us, in a way, and of course we let them.

Its the unconditional love and devotion that people receive from their dogs that gives them no other option but to draw these lovable creatures into their hearts and lives. Some people dont even plan to open up their hearts, it just happenswhen you own a dog, its simply unavoidable. Our dogs are much more than mere companions; they become members of our families.

So how do our dogs fit into our marriages? Whether your beloved pooch was with you for years before you met the love of your life, or whether you decided as a couple to add a four-legged member to the family, chances are your dog has been through a lot with youthe happy tears, the sad tears, and everything in between.

Truth be told, your dogs have already vowed their devotion long before you get the chance to include them in your wedding. As your ever-faithful sidekicks, they are ready to take on the world with you, if you let them, till death do you part.

When my parents were married, my dads best man was a Labrador and my mums maid of honor was a Dalmatian. It was when I was looking through old family photo albums that I began to wonder just how many people out there share the same sentiment as my familyabout dogs and, specifically, about dogs at weddings.

As it turns out, there are many, many dog lovers in the world who couldnt imagine their special day without their beloved dogs by their side. Lets face it, what better place for a dog to stake his rightful claim as mans best friend than by his mans side at the altar? And lets not forget the BFF status that dogs maintain with their female owners, too.

Dont get me wrongwe all know that when you involve any animal in an important ceremony, theres a certain amount of risk involved. Im sure there are some ripped designer gowns, toppled three-tier cakes, and video footage of dogs acting a little disgracefully at many a marriage ceremony. But in the end, we all know that at a wedding its much easier to contain a misbehaving dog than a misbehaving human relative. Enough said.

For those who know the joy of being loved unconditionally, who know what its like to be greeted each day by a flurry of fur-spinning excitement, this book is for you. Whether or not your precious four-legged friend was a part of your wedding day, or even if youre yet to tie the knot, I hope this book will be a source of laughter, joy, and inspiration. So, for the love of dogs and without further ado, I give you Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony.

Katie Preston Toepfer

CELEBRATING WITH

D AVID AND C OURTNEY R ICHARDSON

Shih tzus Teddy and Dublin helped set the relaxed, informal tone for David and Courtney Richardsons nuptials in San Antonio, Texas. The tiny dogs served as ring bearers, but Courtney didnt trust them to handle such an important job entirely on their own. So they rode in a wagon equipped with a Here Comes the Bride sign that was turned over to read Just Married after the service. The hand-sewn wedding finery the dogs wore seemed to ease any preservice jitters among the humans. One of the best moments was when my dad and I were getting ready to walk down the aisle, Courtney recalls. We could hear the guests chuckling at the sight of my dogs with their little boutonnieres.

CELEBRATING WITH

J OSH M ORLOG AND J ACLYN G ILLIER

On the whole the dogs behaved just as well as perhaps better thanthe typical brother-in-law or slightly tipsy former college friend.

Ordinances in Josh and Jaclyns hometown of Blenheim, Ontario, prevented their dogs from attending their wedding ceremony. However, Duncan, a Great Dane, and Indiana, a Boston terrier, were the life of the outdoor reception, which was held at a winery on the shores of Lake Erie. The pair of pooches committed only a couple of doggie faux pas: Indiana jumped up exuberantly to greet her favorite people, and Duncan enthusiastically urinated on all the nearby trees. But on the whole they behaved just as well asperhaps better thanthe typical brother-in-law or slightly tipsy former college friend. It was such a hot and humid day, they were more interested in finding shade under the big trees, Jaclyn recalls.

CELEBRATING WITH

M ICHAEL AND J ENNA P ALMIERI

Jennas fianc talked her out of including her two half-Chihuahua, half-miniature-schnauzer puffballs in their traditional Roman Catholic wedding, which took place at St. Bernadette Church in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Given Sidneys and Zoeys temperaments, it seemed too risky. Sidney has a barking problem at times and would probably have barked whenever someone got near me or tried to hug me, Jenna says. Instead the diminutive duo attended the bridal shower and accompanied the bridal party to the salon on the morning of the wedding for prenuptial primping. They sat on laps while we got our hair done, Jenna says.