Meet the professional wedding plus one who chaperones couples’ pets on their big day — getting dogs to pose for pictures and steer clear of the cake.
Dog lover Rebecca McBride, 26, started up her business after dropping out of a PhD in Biology in 2023.
She offers couples the chance to include their furry friend in their big day by being “on hand” with their pooch — to help include them in wedding pictures and even the ceremony itself.
There is also the option for an overnight stay, with Rebecca delivering them safely back to the wedding venue in time for checkout.
She charges $400 a pop for the service and is booked up until the end of 2025 – with her strangest requests including doing the same for cats and a bearded dragon.
Rebecca, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, said: “I’ve booked 50 weddings this year.
“It has just spiralled since last summer.
“I’m there just to take any stress away with a dog attending a wedding.
“I have a bum bag and from the beginning of day I get them [the dog] to recognise where the treats are and keep them focused on me
“There is an aspect of training them to be focused on me.
“I have a little squeaker in my pocket for the photos.
“I always say as well my job is to keep them calm.
“On the day I find a designated quiet space for the dog to go.
“If they do get a bit hyper and there’s a lot going on, I’ll take them away and I have a lot of chews, and peanut butter kongs”.
Rebecca first had the idea of becoming a dog chaperone when she was at university.
She said: “I was working hospitality at weekends, at one of the weddings in Scotland there was a dog there.
“As a dog lover I thought it was best thing ever.
“As a waitress I should’ve been serving drinks, but I was asking if they needed me to take their dog out to for a walk.
“I always had weddings in the back of my mind.
“The wedding industry is huge especially in Ireland.
“Once I got the name, I just had to do it.”
On an average day, Rebecca picks up the happy couple’s dog from home and takes them on a walk, before heading over to the venue.
“Most of the time I take them to the reception,” she said.
“Sometimes I’ll be there at the end with the dog when the bride walks down the aisle, it’s like a comfort blanket.
“I’ve had dogs deliver rings down the aisle too.
“You can just hear everyone in the ceremony go ‘aww’.
“A lot of the venues here have lots of space, so I can take them for a walk whilst the ceremony is on.
“I can help with photos and work with photographers getting them posed by by bribing them with treats.
“A lot of people rely on family and friends [to look after the dog] but obviously they’re all at the wedding, so I bring them to my house for a sleep over until check out next day.”
Rebecca has seen her business’ content take off online, with sweet videos gaining lots of traction.
“I did have one, the bride booked me as a surprise for groom,” she said.
“He didn’t know the dog was attending.
“It was a big Golden Retriever called Humphrey, who surprised the groom as he walked out of ceremony.
“It’s got one million views on Facebook.
“It was the most amazing moment.
“The photographers were saying the groom was more emotional seeing his dog than the bride.”
Currently offering three different packages with prices starting at $265, Rebecca works “very long days” as she runs the business solo and is looking to expand over the summer.
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