When it comes to tying the knot, most couples dream of a day being surrounded by friends and family and making treasured memories.
But for those of us who regard our beloved four-legged friends as fully-fledged family members, it can be tricky to work out what to do with them on the big day.
That’s where Perth-based dog wedding chaperone Laura Findlay is able to work her magic.
Laura has been making couples’ dreams come true across Scotland since she set up her business, Solo Paws, in August last year.
Her mission is to offer a personalised service to wedding couples, whether simply to bring pets along for the photo shoot, festoon them in special wedding attire, or look after them before, during and after the ceremony.
Laura, 38, says: “I used to manage a social enterprise in Dundee and really loved it.
“However, I stopped working in 2017 due to mental health issues. I’d been admitted to Murray Royal in Perth a few times over the years. But with medication and time, my life changed significantly.”
Bow wow vow
Laura started to think about a career change last year, and began looking at options that would be good for her.
“I didn’t want to work Monday to Friday, nine to five,” she explains.
“I realised I really loved walking dogs and remembered I’d had my own dog, a border collie, at my wedding in Austria. He was a big part of our day.
“It was a bit of a faff – we had to make sure someone had an eye on him at all times. But we’d never have got married without him.”
Laura’s husband Robert, a supervisor agricultural engineer, backed her idea of launching a dog wedding chaperone business, and hence, Solo Paws was born.
When she acted as chaperone at her first wedding, she simply walked the dog while the couple got married – and since then, she’s been flooded with requests.
Trend of dogs at weddings
“So many people don’t realise it’s a thing!” says Laura.
“I can be involved as much or as little as the couple want – my lowest price is £50 and I can go up to a few hundred pounds depending on the service.
“I can walk the dog, give it a wash, tart it up, maybe put on a wee bandana, bow-tie or a special collar with a wooden heart.
“A lot of people just want to have dogs there for photos – and there are some really talented dog-friendly wedding photographers out there.”
For any brides concerned that their dogs might jump up on their beautiful dresses, Laura puts their minds at rest.
And, having been a dog owner for many years, she knows what she’s doing – and plus she’s trained in canine first aid.
Fur-ever friends
She and her husband currently have two border collies, one-year-old Harris and Leo, 15. Their lovely dog Rye, also a border collie, sadly passed away aged eight last year.
Laura always checks out venues before weddings, and whether she takes the dog to a boarding kennels, or stays overnight in the couple’s house with their pet, she’s happy to help.
“I can be there from two hours or the full day, which is 10am to midnight and overnight,” she adds.
She’s seen demand for her services as a dog chaperone rocket since she launched last summer.
“I’ve got bookings for 2024, 2025 and 2026!” she enthuses.
Jamie and Laura’s wedding
Handsome Cockapoo Jasper played a major part in Jamie and Laura Fyfe’s Dundee wedding in May.
The two-year-old sported a tartan bow-tie that matched his master’s kilt and behaved like “a perfect little gentleman”.
The couple were desperate to involve their furry best friend on their special day.
“He’s an important part of the family,” says research chemist Jamie, 33.
“We’ve had him half the time we’ve been together. The hotel, the Landmark in Dundee, was very accommodating about the idea of having a dog at a wedding.
“We thought Jasper might be a bit over-excited if he stayed for the entire ceremony and worried we would focus on him, rather than saying our vows!
“So we started to think about who could look after him – but realised everybody we trusted with him would be at the wedding!”
It wasn’t until the couple attended a wedding fayre in Dundee that they started to think about getting a dog chaperone.
They picked up a card for Solo Paws and contacted business owner Laura, who was more than happy to help.
Dog wedding chaperone a ‘godsend’
“She quickly came out to our house in Dundee to meet us and Jasper, and he was really taken with her!” beams Jamie.
“It was reassuring to know that it wouldn’t be a total stranger looking after him.”
On the day of the wedding, Laura collected Jasper, took him for a long walk on Carnoustie beach (and even sent a Strava screenshot of where they’d been), and then brought him to the hotel for photos.
“It was great having Laura on hand to hold him and wave a biscuit in his direction for photos!” says Jamie.
“She brought him along fully suited and booted – he looked amazing.
“He was quite excited to see us, and his paws were a bit damp. But luckily Laura was there to restrain him from getting paw prints on my wife’s dress!
“She was a godsend. She solved all our problems.”
At the end of the ceremony, Laura dropped Jasper at a boarding kennel in Carnoustie.
Jamie’s wife, also called Laura, a 30-year-old speech and language therapist, was equally delighted by the “incredible” service provided.
“People who have dogs will totally understand why we wanted Jasper at our wedding,” she says.
“Jasper was picked up, walked, taken to the wedding for photos and dropped off. We’d have happily paid double for the peace of mind this gave us.”
Abby and Calum’s wedding
While Abby and Calum Forsyth were keen to fully involve their Pembroke Welsh Corgi Brie in their nuptials, they were slightly worried their pooch might get a tad too excited.
“I had visions of her running down the aisle to my mum instead of me and my husband!” laughs Abby, 29.
“So when we went to the wedding fayre at Dunkeld House Hotel and met Laura, we hired her on the spot.”
Abby, a nurse at Ninewells, describes the dog wedding chaperone service offered by Solo Paws as “perfectly seamless”.
“Laura picked Brie up from one of my bridesmaid’s rooms, took her for a walk while the ceremony was happening, and then brought her along for the photos. She was so well-behaved.
Puppy love
“Brie’s only two and she’s an excitable little dog, so for her to have been involved for the whole day would’ve been too much.
“She’s not a fan of outfits, but Laura put on a flowery collar and added a wee wooden heart around her neck that said: ‘My humans are getting married today.’
“It was a lovely touch.”
The Dundee-based couple’s wedding, at Dunkeld House Hotel in April, was a roaring success.
Calum, 29, a physiotherapy lecturer at RGU in Aberdeen, agrees, it “worked out brilliantly”.
David and Carolanne’s nuptials
Finding it a “bit of a headache” to get someone to look after their three Labradoodles during their wedding, Newport-on-Tay couple David and Carolanne Heighton were over-the-moon to discover Solo Paws.
“We’d only decided to get married in January – and the wedding was at The Rhynd near Leuchars in April – so it was all a bit stressful!” admits David, an engineer.
“We were really keen that the three dogs play a big part in the day. Carolanne spent a lot of time researching options online. And luckily she found Laura!”
David describes the dogs – 13-year-old Wilf, 18-month-old Louis, and nine-month-old Honey, as “quite boisterous”.
And like many wedding couples, they didn’t want the dogs to ruin their finest clothes.
Together fur-ever
So Laura baby-sat – or dog-sat – during the ceremony and brought the pooches along for the photo shoot.
“She brought them dressed in white bows!” David exclaims.
“They stayed clean enough to look great in the photos. They were pretty well-behaved.
“We felt really confident handing them over to Laura. She’s so good with dogs.”
The couple chose, perhaps wisely, not to involve the dogs in their first dance!
David says: “We met through dancing – I took up dancing a few years ago and ended up instructing beginners.
“Carolanne works in the pathology lab at Ninewells, so we had a mix of NHS people and dance friends at the wedding.
“We hired an LED dance floor and the music was mostly modern jive.
“Our first dance was to Love Shack by the B-52s. We didn’t practise at all – what we do is spontaneous, although people didn’t believe us!
Precious pets
“But the best thing about the wedding was being able to include our three dogs.
“The wedding photographer, Robyn, of Robyn’s Boudoir Photography, got the dogs doing all kinds of things!
“Essentially, the whole experience was fantastic – and one we will cherish for the rest of our lives.”
- See here for more information on Solo Paws.
- Abby and Calum used Richard Craig Photography; Jamie and Laura used Andi Watson Photography; and David and Carolanne used Robyn’s Boudoir Photography.
Conversation