Want your fur baby to walk down the aisle? There's a service for that
For those who wouldn’t dream of having their fur babies miss their wedding days — and they are legion — Josh Clemens is ready to serve, prepping and pandering to pooches at nuptials.
He launched his Honeymoon Hounds service to monitor pets during events, escort pups down the aisle, and basically help facilitate whatever roles couples envision the four-legged family members playing a role in their milestones.
Honeymoon Hounds steps in to free up two-legged loved ones to enjoy the ceremonies of pet parents.
“We want everyone to be part of the wedding. We don’t want them to have to pick someone who then feels like they’re at the bottom of the totem pole because they got picked for dog duty instead of getting to be a part of and enjoy the milestone just like everybody else that the bride and groom know,” Clemens said.
Including pets in wedding ceremonies
The Brownsburg resident rolled out the service in April. It’s an extension of his four-year-old pet care business, The Walking Paw.
The offering is one he hadn’t seen in the Indianapolis area; and he figured it would do well with all of the folks who want pets to take part in their special days.
Nearly all U.S. pet owners — 97% — consider their pets to be part of their family, and more than half — 51% — say the animals are as much a part of their family as human members, according to the Pew Research Center; so it stands to reason they’d want them present at some of the most important events of their lives.
'This really could be a service that couples are looking for'
That’s been the case with clients at pioneering wedding day pet care business FairyTail Pet Care.
Kelly Nova and Ilana Karcinski started the Tampa, Florida-based business in 2015 and began franchising in 2022.
“Couples wanted to include their pet in their wedding day, but there was no service that offered anything like this. They really didn't want to ask their mom or bridesmaid or someone they didn't invite to be the one to take care of their pet on their wedding day,” Nova said. “We saw this kind of happening over and over and realized that this really could be a service that couples are looking for.”
The team scored a deal from their October 2023 appearance on “Shark Tank,'' and now has locations in West Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and, as of May, Sacremento, California. Other locations are in the works for 2024.
The company, with services starting at $600, meets with pet owners to consider the pet’s personality when drafting a timeline for the day.
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Services can include training dog ring bearers or flower girls, custom outfits, photo help
A pet might require getting to the wedding venue early enough to get familiar with the grounds or photo location; or being dressed in a custom wedding tuxedo or faux flower collar for their turn as dog of honor or ring bearer.
“They are just looking for their pet that they consider a part of the family to be able to be a part of the most special day of their life,” Nova said.
Since FairyTail’s launch, other wedding pet care companies have come on the scene. And independent sitters like Clemens are stepping up to the market.
Honeymoon Hounds services include tending to doggies, keeping them focused while taking pictures with the wedding party, as well as getting photos from the pet’s point of view during the nuptials.
Pampering dogs before the wedding
Clients might want their canine companions chauffeured to and from the wedding venue, bathed and prepped to participate in the ceremony.
Clemens will make sure the pets are fed, given water and walked during the day, and helping them expend energy in advance of the ceremony.
“I make sure it gets all his energy out when it needs to. That way, it’s not acting crazy at the wedding.”
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Clemens said he keeps pets engaged with treats and toys. He also offers to dogsit overnight in client homes or hotels.
If the pooch is a ring bearer or flower girl, he makes sure they get down the aisle without incident.
“We’re just making sure it’s happy. If it’s happy, then the parents will be happy,” he said.
Honeymoon Hounds can be contacted at 317-603-8045 or lennylemens@gmail.com.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Doggone weddings: New service attends to pets during nuptials
