To Pooch or Not To Pooch. That Is The Question.

For months now, we've been going back and forth about whether to include our beloved dogs in the ceremony. From the moment we were engaged, we were gung-ho on the idea of them being our ring bearers. I mean, we got them when we moved to New Mexico together two years ago as teacup-sized, two-month-old puppies. Okay, they were never teacup-sized, but 17-pounds is pretty small compared to their current state.

Meet Odin, our year-and-a-half Pit Bull-Lab mix. Or Odiferus, Wilbur, Yoda (check out his ears) or Pequeño Toro. Yep, those are all of his nicknames. All of which happen to be longer than his real name. We got him from the pound as a sick little puppy and he's grown into a handsome young chap. It would be a mistake not to include him in the wedding. I mean, he already has his tuxedo on! But, because he's a pound pup, he has his quirks which include quite a bit of anxiety in crowds of strangers, horrible leash-pulling habits, and an obsession with licking any visible skin. Hmmm...

Just a few months older than Odin is Rio. Two in April, Rio is a Saluki-Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. She hasn't taken on as many nicknames as Odin (Riolicious usually does the trick) but she does have a few idiosyncrasies that he doesn't. First, talking. She is probably the most vocal dog I've ever met. And it starts up if she gets bored--which is often because she's a high energy hound mix. (Think whippet, greyhound, anything that could run for twelve hours straight and still want more). Second, she is light as a feather, but she often gets the inkling to jump on people when she's excited. I see our wedding as one of those times. If we were getting married inside this might be okay (Notice I say might. Unless we get her declawed--which we would never--I don't see nails and taffeta being a good combination), but we're getting married in a field of grass and mud and all things disastrous.

Thus, we're stuck with the question: To pooch or not to pooch. We really want them to be a part of our day. They're practically our kids. (Wow, I sound like Angela from The Office. I promise we don't lick them clean). But is it worth all the worry?

No need to answer. Just look at this picture (below). Then tell me how you can turn that down?

Are you including any unexpected guests in your ceremony?

Image 1 by Geckoam
Image 4 by Jadam