If ever there was a blog we couldn’t wait to write it was this one! As most of you who have kept up with our photo adventures know, we absolutely love dogs! Our family has grown to 5 over the past years as we have 3 fur babies. Lulu is our little sweetheart. Squirrel is an absolute hot mess that you can’t help but love, and Rocco is our little hellion. We must give off the dog lover vibe well as we have received the following questions over a dozen times in the past year pertaining to engagement sessions and weddings and that is: “Hey, is it cool if we bring our dog?” To which we always respond AB-SO-lutely! In fact as we were looking over this past year we noticed so many fun loving couples who decided to incorporate their fur babies into their engagement photos and weddings. Not only was each experience great but the level of cuteness always goes up just a bit when you bring your four legged friends along for the fun! We wrote this for anyone on the fence about incorporating their best friend(s) into their engagement photos or their wedding day. Here are a few things to calm your nerves and consider too help make everything go as smooth as possible!
(Meet our little man Rocco above!)
Your dog doesn’t have to be perfect! Trust us when we say it is A-okay. Bringing your dog to your engagement shoot or wedding will require a certain amount of coordination and in some cases wrangling and even the most well behaved dogs will generally get a little more stimulated and excited when they go to a new location they’ve never been or there are a lot of people around.
Getting your dog ready is always a good idea. I don’t mean like doing their make up or picking an outfit, but if you want your dog to be a bit more relaxed, take them out to play or run before the shoot! This can sometimes help to wear them out a bit so that they are more likely to sit still for the camera when you want them too!
Come prepared! We suggest bringing a small bag with the following items:
Doggy bags - You know why
Water bowl – If you’re going on a hike or it’s a hot day, they may get thirsty. Cool local Asheville stores like Diamond Brand have great on the go options for foldable dog bowls
Dog Treats – Besides giving them a little snack we find nothing grabs your pup’s attention better than saying the word treat and then directing their eyes towards the camera by holding it up to the lens
Their favorite toy – Not only can this be a good attention grabber as well, it can also create some fun candid moments of you playing with them as a couple.
Be patient. Sometimes it's a challenge getting humans to look at the camera, sit still, or generally do what we need them to do. Bringing your dog to your engagement or wedding day will require some patience, but in the end it is totally worth it as you will get some of the priceless captures you were hoping for! We will generally being firing away when it comes to our shutter speed so they don’t always have to be perfectly still. If they won’t sit still at all, sometimes photos of you playing with your dog or simply walking your dog as a couple holding hands can create beautiful images.
Possibly bring back up! One of the benefits of working as a photography team is when you bring your dog and you want to take some photos of just you two alone, one of us can watch your dog as one of us shoots. If you have the flexibility to bring a friend or loved one to dog sit for a few minutes here and there, even better!
Engagements and wedding days where you incorporate your dog can be meaningful and downright cute! Odds are if you are anything like us, your dogs hold a special place in your heart and your relationship. Their daily contributions to your happiness are priceless so why not include them into some of your happiest moments? By using some of the previous tips you can help to ensure that you will enjoy your engagement/wedding day with your furry friend!
-Joe & Jenny