Cleveland Weddings | Ten Tips on How To Include Your Pets

We know you love your pets just as much as your human family members…. and it’s only natural that you want to include them in your Cleveland wedding ceremony and reception. “Like The Record Productions” understands this and this is why we wanted to give you several tips below on how to include your pets at a Cleveland wedding.

Pets participating at weddings used to be limited primarily to the groom using his dog as the ring bearer or the bride’s pooch walking the flower girl down the aisle! However, we are now seeing pets of all sizes and shapes included on the guest list at the Cleveland weddings we play! These pets are mostly of the canine and feline persuasion, but you’d be surprised how many other types of pets show up at northeast Ohio wedding receptions!

They include rabbits, ferrets, horses, snakes, turtles, hamsters, guinea pigs, goats, parrots, owls, and even pot bellied pigs! While these amazing animal guests may lack the fancy duds donned by the human guests, they are usually gleefully welcomed with gourmet hors d’oeuvres and dinner entrees reserved special for them! In some cases, the animals actually become the life of the party! They certainly enrich the experience for the bride and groom who love them!

Our tips for including pets at Cleveland weddings

Acclimate Your Pets To Crowds and Noise…

Even the most socialized pet can get a bit spooked at weddings due to the large number of people they’ve never met, as well as all the hustle and bustle. Therefore, if you intend on your dog(s) and/or cat(s) attending your wedding, it is a good idea to acclimate them to the conditions they’ll encounter there. One of the best ways to do this is to take your pet(s) to a park when a special activity is going on that draws a large crowd and a lot of noise. If there is a band playing, this is even better since you will likely have a Cleveland wedding band playing at your Cleveland wedding reception! You may need to start several months out and gradually introduce them to these conditions.

Select Non-Toxic Flowers and Plants

Many flowers and plants popular for weddings are toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals. Most are mildly to moderately toxic, causing upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Baby’s breath, carnations, and hydrangeas fall into this category. However, some flowers and plants can cause permanent organ damage and even death.

For example, lilies can cause acute kidney failure, especially in cats. Luckily, roses are fairly benign to most pets but their thorns can injure a pet’s mouth, and if ingested, thorns can also cause bowel obstructions. For this reason, it is a good idea to ask the florist and/or wedding planner to remove the thorns. If you are planning to include your pets in your Cleveland area wedding, be sure to consult the ASPCA in selecting your wedding flowers. Here is the URL: Animal Poison Control You may also want to have the poison hotline programmed into your cell phone: 888-426-4435.

Dealing With Animal Allergies In Humans

Be sure to notify all your guests what type of animal(s) will be attending your wedding so they can take the necessary precautions if they have allergies. The same goes for anyone working at your wedding.

This includes the wedding officiant, caterer, servers, and the wedding band. Moving your wedding reception to an outdoor Cleveland venue will eliminate the allergy issues for most people so this may be the best option.

Does Your Northeast Ohio Venue Accept Animals?

Be aware that not all Cleveland wedding venues allow pets so be sure to ask this question while you are shopping around.

Pet Proof the Food!

When dogs and cats smell that delicious wedding bouquet, they may decide to help themselves to the buffet. Be sure to tell your caterer that they need to pet proof the food. You may also want to designate certain friends to help you watch over the pets at all times or even hire a professional pet sitter to help out. A pet food raid may not only ruin the food for your human guests but it can also cause sickness in your pet(s) since some human food is toxic to pets. For example, chocolate, coffee, garlic, and onion are highly toxic to both cats and dogs.

Prepare Your Cleveland Wedding Photographer

Pets don’t always like to pose for formal photographs. For this reason, you may want to let your wedding photographer know you’d like them to concentrate more on some good candid shots of your pets at the wedding.

Introduce Your Pet To Each Member Of Your Cleveland Wedding Band

If your pet(s) is allowed to sniff each band member and all their instruments, they will be less likely to be startled with the music starts. Also, if the wedding band members are nice enough to show your pet some attention beforehand, this can also ease their tension. You may also want to ask if the drummer if he can drum lightly for the first song to get the animal acclimated to the hearing the beat.

Do Pets Like… “Like The Record?”

You bet! As members of one of the most popular Cleveland wedding bands, we are always intrigued to see how different types of wedding guests interact with our music. However, no matter how many times we see it, the sight of dogs getting into the spirit of the music, with some of them actually be-bopping to our tunes, can still catch us off guard in a very pleasant way! We were also surprised to learn that cats can keep time with their tails! Animals are amazing and we love playing at Cleveland weddings that include them!
It turns out that animals like music for the same reasons humans like music. For a more detailed explanation of this, go here: Do Animals Like Music?

Special Needs For Some Types Of Animals At Weddings

Although dogs are the most popular pets at Cleveland weddings and cats are the second most popular, we wanted to say a few words about other animals attending weddings. Some animals will have special requirements to make the experience pleasant for all. For example, goats have a tendency to eat EVERYTHING so they would need to be kept tied and monitored at all times by a dedicated pet sitter or disaster could strike! Horses may need to be acclimated like dogs and cats before are comfortable with large wedding crowds. Some animals like parrots or owls require a bit of education for your human guests on what not to do. You may need to make a special announcement to their entire wedding party.

Finally, remember that “Like The Record” is available to play at your Cleveland wedding (or any place in the northeast Ohio region) and we love pets. Give us a call or email us so we can discuss your specific needs.

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Danny Todd

Owner at Like The Record Productions, LLC.

Danny Todd – Founding Member of “Like the Record” I was an army brat growing up. When I was about 13, my family and I were stationed in Germany. That’s where I first met a high school senior who lived downstairs. His name was John Door – a professional jazz drummer who would practice every day. And I wanted to play just like him … I wanted it badly! We soon became friends and he began teaching me with theory reading percussion music (which I hated practicing, but knew I had to in order to progress). I soon started on snare drum in the school marching band then moved on to stage band and orchestra. My high school band mates and I formed numerous groups and played at our high school dances every Friday night. Those were the days!