Dog-Friendly Wedding Venues

Posted by Erin Ballinger

Without your canine bestie or fur baby in attendance, your wedding day might feel incomplete. Everyone you love should be there to celebrate your big day (even if they need a special tux tailored for four legs and a tail!). We’ve found some fabulous pet-friendly wedding destinations where you can get married to your mate-for-life with Fido by your side.

The Wilburton Destination Resort

Manchester, VT
Say ‘I Do’ with your dog in Vermont. Photo by Kelsey Regan Photography / Wilburton Inn

Dogs are welcome to be a part of the entire wedding weekend experience at The Wilburton Destination Resort in Vermont’s gorgeous Green Mountains. Fido is a guest of honor from attending the rehearsal dinner and welcome party bonfire, to relaxing over breakfast at the mansion, hanging out poolside, walking down the aisle and even at the reception in the marble pavilion tent. The Wilburton has a pup-friendly bridal suite with a jacuzzi, fireplace and deck that offers stunning views. The resort hosts only one wedding each weekend so that each couple has privacy and the full attention of its staff, including the canine concierge, Jetson, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!

“We know that dogs are an important part of many couples' love stories,” says event director, Tajlei Levis. “Wilburton weddings are a celebration for your whole family - including your dog.”

The Wilburton Destination Resort welcomes two dogs of any size for an additional fee of $40 per pet, per night. However, the pet fee is waived when booked through BringFido.

Islander Resort

Islamorada, FL
The wedding pawty at the dog-friendly resort in the Keys. Photo by @thenotoriousdogofpb

If a barefoot beach wedding is on your wish list, Islander Resort is a picturesque pet-friendly option. Soon-to-be newlyweds can invite their human and canine loved ones to join them on the beach that kisses the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to being welcome to take part in the wedding ceremony, four-legged resort guests will be pampered with five-star treatment for their entire vacation. In Tropical View rooms or designated pet-friendly dining areas at the resort, canine guests can sit, stay, and order a feast from the doggy menu which includes grilled pork belly, roasted pig ears, and even a New York strip. When nature calls (or a drunk uncle starts breakdancing), Fido can escape to the Islander’s off-leash dog park.

Islander Resort welcomes two pets up to 50 lbs for an additional fee of $75 per pet, per night.

Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN
We dooooooo! Photo by @butterthebestboi

Get hitched in the heart of downtown Minneapolis at Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Minneapolis, which embodies the best of the Twin Cities. If modern decor and architecture are favored, the very dog-friendly Hotel Ivy will be a match made in heaven for the hip bride and groom. Dogs are welcome to take part in the wedding festivities and stay overnight in luxurious accommodations. The Penthouse Suite, popular with couples, is a versatile space that can be utilized for numerous celebratory moments throughout your wedding journey. The ultra-luxe, two-story Penthouse space reveals the city’s most spectacular views from a private rooftop balcony, as well as panoramic windows surrounding the suite’s 1,900 square feet of indoor living space. Guests of the suite can toast their future with a complimentary bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne, and Fido will appreciate the luxe pet bed, bowls and mat provided. This wedding venue welcomes pups up to 50 lbs, and the hotel welcomes two dogs of any size for an additional fee of $50 per night.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

Dana Point, CA
Fido will love taking part in your special day. Photo by Villa Visuals

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is a stunning, pet-friendly oceanfront hotel in Orange County. There are plenty of reasons to include a four-legged family member in your bridal party at this breathtaking resort. Dogs can take part in the ceremony by acting as ring bearers, flower girls, groomsmen or bridesmaids. After you’ve tied the knot, pups can join in on the fun in Ritz’s elegant reception hall that can hold up to 500 human guests. Toast your big day with a specialty drink from the bar named in honor of your beloved canine guest. Fido will love chowing down on Bow Wow Tenderloin or Dog Bone Meatloaf from the luxury resort’s dog menu as a midnight snack to end the magical day.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel welcomes two pets of any size for an additional fee of $150 per stay.

Keith House Chicago

Chicago, IL
I now pronounce you man and wife, and a family. Photo by @fullerphotoco

Located in the heart of the renowned Prairie Avenue Historic District in the Windy City, Keith House Chicago offers an affordable, pet-friendly wedding venue inside an 1870s Gothic mansion. Dogs have played important roles in many Keith House weddings, including as ring bearers. If you can trust your pup not to confuse the wedding rings for onion rings, then the wedding planners can guide her through the process of delivering them safely to the officiant.

If you want to stay in Chicago for a pet-friendly honeymoon, check into Virgin Hotels Chicago, which welcomes pets for no additional pet fees, and check out our weekend guide to the Windy City.

Sawyer Family Farmstead

Glenville, NC
The bestest flower girl there ever was. Photo by Facebook.com/SawyerFamilyFarmstead

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina make a beautiful backdrop for a romantic wedding ceremony. Sawyer Family Farmstead lies just outside the popular mountain towns of Cashiers and Highlands and has hosted a number of pet-friendly weddings. The high mountain location keeps the venue cool for weddings during the dog days of summer. (Nobody wants Fido ruining the vows by panting too loudly!) Imagine the breeze blowing through your dog’s fur under the trellis in the garden, where you and your partner will exchange your “I do’s” surrounded by friends, family, and gorgeous vistas for miles.

After you’ve partied like animals at the reception, retreat to The Park on Main in Highlands with your pup. The classy hotel caters to canine wedding guests with a dog bed, towel and bowls set up for you upon arrival.

Seabrook Island

Seabrook Island, SC
Simply un-fur-gettable. Photo by Laura Dawn and Rachel Bench

Located just minutes from the popular wedding destination of Charleston, SC, Seabrook Island Weddings offers its own Southern charm for dog-friendly ceremonies on the beach. Fido is welcome to join you as you exchange vows on the Ocean Terrace. A team of wedding planners will help create the event of your dreams by coordinating vendors for your wedding and reception. Best of all, they understand that four-legged friends are a part of the family and the VIPs of your guest list. Pets can be accommodated if you would like them to attend or participate in your special day.

Need an amazing vacation home to rent while on the island? You lucky dog! There are more than 300 dog-friendly vacation homes on Seabrook Island, like this 2-bedroom beachfront villa where you can gaze at the sunset with Fido.

Know of an amazing dog-friendly wedding venue? Leave a comment or tweet us @BringFido!

Banner photo by @thenotoriousdogofpb.