A ring-bearer dog is wonderful. A cat on a leash is a power move. But involving your pet in a carefully planned, tightly scheduled wedding doesn't always work out, whether the venue doesn't allow pets, your dog doesn't do well with crowds, or your cat has strong feelings about leaving the house. (And let's be honest, most cats always have strong feelings about leaving the house.)
Even when a pet can't walk down the aisle, they can still be a part of the day. We talked to six pet parents whose pets adorned their wedding cakes, whether as custom toppers (the official MVPs of the reception) or sugary figurines getting a taste of that drool-worthy frosting.
Just a Little Bite: Ashley, Brennan, and Beatrice
Ashley adopted her dog, Beatrice, as a puppy, well before she even met her now-husband, Brennen, so it was a no-brainer to include Beatrice in their wedding somehow. But with their no-pets-allowed wedding venue a full hour away from home and an outdoor ceremony in the middle of summer, Ashley knew Beatrice couldn't physically attend.
Instead, Ashley chose to add Beatrice to the cake, not as a topper, but as a sneaky sweet figure taking a bite out of the bottom tier. The result was a huge hit with the couple and their guests, especially Ashley's nephews.
"Everyone loved seeing Beatrice on the cake!" Ashley says. "We heard so many comments about how cute it was to have her included in that way. It was a perfect touch to the simple wedding cake design I chose. After we cut the cake, two of my nephews stole Bea off the cake and ate [the figure] because she was made of rice krispies and icing."
As an extra detail to include their pup, Ashley and Brennen created coloring pages of their family of three for all the kids. So, even though Beatrice wasn't there to watch her parents tie the knot, she was certainly not forgotten (and, as a bonus, was there in irresistible treat form).
Taking Center Stage: Francie, Luke, and Dexter
Francie's Dalmatian, Dexter, has been part of her and her partner Luke's life since the couple adopted him at just eight weeks old. For their wedding earlier this year, they wanted to include Dexter but knew he wouldn't do well with a crowd of people.
Instead, Francie and Luke commissioned a custom topper of Dexter to grace their wedding cake, based on a favorite photo of their dog.
"They loved Dexter on top of the cake," Francie says of her wedding guests' reactions. "It captured his personality perfectly. He was also mentioned in the father of the bride's speech."
Cats, Cake, and Cocktails: Jackie, Keith, Professor, Percy, and Pickle
Jackie's oldest cat, Professor, found her, as cats tend to do. He showed up at her house during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while Jackie was working remotely. Afraid that Professor was lonely, Jackie and her now-husband, Keith, adopted Pickle, followed by a third cat, Percy.
"During COVID, it was us and our kitties," Jackie says. "We traveled internationally for our wedding, and we couldn't bring them and wanted to include our cats somehow."
For their golden-hour, garden-party wedding, the couple ordered a custom cake featuring all three of their cats lounging on the different tiers. They even named their wedding cocktails after Professor, Pickle, and Percy. The unique and charming cake design was a memorable moment for both Jackie and her guests.
"Everyone thought it was adorable," she continues. "At the wedding, during the cake cutting was the first time I saw the cake too. It was absolutely perfect."
A Feline Cameo: Kayla, Jonah, and Eliza
Kayla and Jonah's cat, Eliza, is definitely a homebody, so while they never considered having her attend their wedding last winter, they knew they still wanted to make their beloved kitty a part of their special day.
After seeing wedding cakes featuring dogs on TikTok, Kayla and Jonah decided on a similar design for their cake, featuring a small and sugary version of Eliza taking a swipe out of the icing.
"We are known cat people, so it felt like us," Kayla says. "Eliza is also mischievous, so it fit."
The couple's wedding guests found the cake hilarious, and many of them asked the bride and groom about the little figurine of their beloved cat.
"I felt like everywhere I turned, I was being asked, 'Kayla, is that Eliza on the cake?'"
One More Bite: Allison, Elias, and Obi
Three-year-old Obi has been a part of Elias and Allison's lives since he was a puppy. The couple even went on the hunt for a pet-friendly apartment in Boston just so they could add a dog to their family. So, naturally, they wanted to include Obi in their wedding celebrations in September of this year.
"Obi is part of our family," Allison says. "He thinks he's a person, which is probably because we include him as part of our regular conversations and try to take him to as many places as we can. He comes hiking with us, on long drives to see our families, and accompanies us on our chores (he loves seeing the laundry room in our building)."
Unfortunately, their mountaintop wedding venue was only accessible via chairlift, which was picturesque but less than ideal for their beloved pup. With Obi's attendance a non-option, Allison and Elias looked for other ways to include him.
After gifting Allison a clay figurine of her childhood dog, Snickers, Allison's mom had the idea to commission the UK-based artist for a similar sculpture of Obi to include with the wedding cake.
"Obi is playful and smart," Allison says of her pup. "He also loves food, so, while he hasn't tasted wedding cake, having him take a bite out of a sweet treat seemed fitting as a way to incorporate him into the day."
Four Pets and a Wedding: Lowri, Dafydd, Mot, Bela, Elvis, and Tess
As farm-dwellers, Lowri and Dafydd value their dogs not just as companions and members of the family, but as coworkers, too. That's why they knew their four dogs had to be part of their wedding day.
"The dogs are very important to us," Lowri says. "The Beagles bring laughter and mischief daily, and the Sheepdogs play a very important role when it comes to farm work. Especially over the last two years: I think I would have been lost without my four-legged friends getting me out of the house and having someone to talk to when Dafydd was at work."
All four dogs, the two Beagles Bela and Elvis, Mot the Welsh Sheepdog, and Tess the Huntaway, were charmingly featured on the couple's wedding cake. Bela even (briefly) attended the wedding in September to join Lowri and Dafydd for a few photos.
"We loved the cake," Lowri says. "Not only did it look fantastic, it also tasted amazing!"
Can't Do the Cake? There Are Other Ways
A custom cake figure is a beautiful option, but it's not the only way to get your dog's face into the day. Couples who want something they can use throughout the entire reception, not just at the cake cutting, often turn to custom cocktail napkins, drink stirrers, and frosted cups featuring a hand-illustrated portrait of their dog. The illustration is the same approach as a fondant topper, but it shows up at the bar all night rather than for one moment.
Either way, the instinct is the same: your pet was there for the whole story. The wedding is just the next chapter.
