Including Your Pets in Your Wedding

Courtesy of the Linda Beatson, Volunteer Captain of Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo, California:

 photo via: http://www.freaksandgeeksweddings.com

One of the newest trends in weddings is to include your pet in the ceremony. Pets are being given such important roles as ring bearer, bridesmaids, groomsmen and "best dog". According to one LA based wedding planner, approximately 30 percent of weddings she plans include pets. One reason for the increase of this trend is that an increasing number of modern couples are treating their pets as children and including them in the wedding ceremony makes a statement of the major role their pets play in their lives.

Evidence of the rise in popularity of including pets in weddings can be seen by increasing sales at pet boutiques for doggie tuxedos, miniature sequined wedding gowns, frilly bridesmaid dresses and ring bearer pillows. Wedding attire for pets can run anywhere from $30 to over $100 and range from simple tee shirts to custom outfits that color coordinate with the rest of your attendants and wedding theme. Our cute tuxedo Dexter just needs a bow tie to be prepared for any wedding event (Best Meown?). If you''re planning an upcoming nuptial, I''ll be glad to loan him to you. Just beware that he bites and will occasionally slap you across the face (doesn't use claws), but he's also guaranteed to keep your ceremony free from mousies and other rodents, if that is a concern.

This self avowed "crazy cat lady" admits that the "dog" is the most popular pet to be included in said ceremonies (for obvious reasons), but after much research, I did find a few examples of intrepid feline lovers who, against what seems like common sense, chose to include their furry kitties in their ceremonies (Mews of Honor, perhaps?). A wedding planner in La Quinta, CA helped to organize a ceremony in a private home (at least a safe environment for this) in which a bridesmaid patiently held a gray and white kitty during the vows. An ordained minister in La Salle, CA officiated a medieval themed wedding in which the couple's two cats sat on either side of the bride and groom - in cages. And in another California wedding, the couple's three cats accompanied them up the aisle in specially decorated pet strollers. That all three examples are from California is probably not a coincidence...

Don't think Fluffy is quite up to actually taking part in your wedding ceremony? Consider how one romantic fellow proposed to his fiance - he attached the engagement ring to the collar of the fiance's cat, Evie, then sent Evie over to his girlfriend. How cute is that? And later, the couple's dog, Peaches, served as their ring bearer in the wedding. Ahh...the things we do for love!

~Linda Beatson

Wedding Faire Follow Up

Last weekend's bridal faire at The Ranch at Little Hills was really fun; Alicia and I had a great day meeting brides/grooms and their families, handing out Vow Muse information, and generally enjoying the sunshine of the beautiful day.

The Muses at their decorated table.

We made friends with some other nice vendors, and we hope that some of this year's couples at The Ranch give us a ring to help them give someone else one. That was an awesome double word meaning, booya.

The signature VM typewriter.

The Ranch seems to be a really great venue, with expansive grounds and a beautiful forest setting. It only just started hosting weddings last year and is growing exponentially in popularity already. The ranch books at a reasonable price, so we're not terribly surprised to see that couples are clamoring to reserve their special day here!

Here are a few pics of the San Ramon venue during the bridal faire:

The ceremony area.

Some other vendor booths for the bridal faire.

The reception area with built-in giant white tent.

The Groom Says: Putting Your Muse(s) to Work

Holy Batman! Vow Muse is delighted to be featured on The Groom Says this morning. We met Brian via Twitter (gotta love that little bird) and he asked us if we'd like to be featured on his blog. Um, does French toast love maple syrup? He wanted to test our skills, and sent a set of speech scenarios that would require some grace under fire our way. Want to read more about dilapidated mailboxes, snake bites, fire, and how it all relates to wedding toasts? Check out Brian's blog, and while you're there, learn how the Muses have helped him recover from the toast that should have been put back in the toaster, and his not too cinnamon sweet write-up of Vow Muse's talents:

The Groom Says: Putting Your Muse(s) to Work: "In the fall of 2002, I gave a rather horrific Best Man toast at my older brother's wedding in Miami Beach. I perhaps remember it as a much b..."

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millipied's Wedding Vows a la Vow Muse

The 2010 holiday season left a delightful string of celebrity engagements in its wake, which means lots of stars, starlets and their soon to be betrothed might be needing some sweet words to speak to each other during the big day. When the Muses heard about Natalie Portman saying "Yes" to Benjamin Millipied, we instantly started day dreaming about what these grooving go-getters might want to say.

Natalie's probably not at a loss for words, but just in case...

 From Benjamin to Natalie:

Natalie:
To dance across the skyline
Right into the ocean and depths below
I'd be grateful to do this alone
But I'd be honored to do this with you

To dance across a stage
Solo and exposed without fear
I'd be grateful to this alone
But I'd be honored to do this with you.

To dance when I'm simply walking
Thinking of love that keeps loving
I'd be grateful to this alone
But I'd be honored to do this with you.

I vow to be grateful to be alive. 

But Natalie, I'm honored to live this life with you.

From Natalie to Benjamin:
Benjamin: I feel quenched when I am with you. My skin is alive, my words hold weight, and I never have to fear thirst. You'll let me find my own water to drink, and be there with a canteen if I fail. Remarkably, you're the best of all worlds. With you, I'm not held back nor pushed ahead too fast. Together we have forward momentum that will electrify us all through all our days and nights.

--

We learned about Natalie Portman here and Benjamin Millipied here.

Photo used under Creative Commons permission

Katy Perry & Russell Brand's "Wedding Vows" a la Vow Muse!

Well the truth is, Vow Muse didn't get asked to take part in helping Katy Perry and Russell Brand pen their wedding vows at their recent nuptials. But that didn't stop us from stepping into the world of imagination and wondering what words the pop-star and comedian might have exchanged privately! Want to step into Vow Muse's fantasy vows* for KP and RB? Read on.

What would Katy Perry and Russell Brand say during their wedding vows? Heck, we don't know either, so we nabbed our keyboards and put our thinking caps on.**

Russell Brand to Katy Perry:

My kit, my Kat,
Spend tea-time in my lap
We'll be rocking in style
Like before rocking down the aisle
I'll write you sweet melodies
Oh wait, that's your cup of tea
Kiss all the girls you desire
I'll love you even more for that quagmire
Please be honest, please be true
And I'll always do the same for you
Okay, enough of that rat-a-tat-tat
I love you too much for that serious crap.

Seriously Katy, you're a concoction too intoxicating to be without. You make me laugh, which is pretty freaking hard to do, and I can't wait to sweep you off your feet every single day of our lives. As long as you promise to pair the socks. You know I hate that.

Katy Perry to Russell Brand:

Russell, first, of course I'll pair the socks. Well, maybe I'll hire someone. Either way, we won't be sock hunters. Seriously though...I'm not sure what I can say here that I haven't whispered to you during bad movie premieres, shouted from the rooftops during crazy nights in London pretending to be chimney sweeps, and shared via email with every single person witnessing us today. You give me hope for the future, you make me forget the past, and you provide me with security, support, and back-up vocals in the shower. Baby, I'm honored to pair your socks, to make you popcorn with honey-butter on it, and to sit with you in bed when you're sick nursing you back to health. I want to do everything with you.

---------------------------

* All our research for the writing of Katy Perry and Russell Brand's vows was taken from the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Perry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Brand

** Picture used with permission from under Creative Commons from cutekatyperry.com. If someone smart and in charge feels this is incorrect, please tell us and we'll figure it out!