We Do!

www.wedoweddingsma.com • Winter 2025 • We Do! 53 "You don't want to have to be worrying about your dog during your wedding," she said. Even if a couple shares a beloved pet, sometimes including them is just too much to take on. Such was the case for bride Chelsea Tinos, a lawyer who brought home her pandemic rescue dog Frank before she met her now husband. Frank would have hated attend- ing the wedding last January in Sturbridge, Chelsea says, but she couldn't go through the day without the beloved pup who kept her company before she met her now husband. FRANK ZAPPA AT THE TABLE Chelsea did the only reasonable thing, and ordered a cutout poster of Frank, mounted on a stick, to be carried throughout the festivities. Frank even made it on the dance floor and had everyone chanting his name by the end of the night. "If he liked strangers, I think he would have loved it," Chelsea said. The cutout wasn't true to size, with cutout Frank standing four feet high, much larger than the smaller mixed breed pup, but Chel- sea says it was still the perfect homage to her her dog. That, and the table numbers theme: Each table number was decorated with a different famous "Frank," like Frank Zappa, and Benjamin Frank- lin. One doesn't need to look far to find other Central Massachusetts newlyweds who made sure animals had their moment. It seems every other couple tied their pets into the decor, drinks or food in some way – even if they weren't actually present. "There are so many ways you really can incorporate them with- out them having to be there," says bride Annmarie Andrade, who married her husband Travis at The Groton Inn in October 2024. A statue of the couple's cat, Avery, adorned their wedding cake – and a signature cocktail, the "Meowcow Mule," was a second nod to their feline. But their appreciation of animals didn't stop there. During cock- tail hour, Annmarie surprised Travis with a visit from alpacas from a nearby farm where they had their first date. It was a hit with the groom and the guests, who now refer to their wedding as "the one with alpacas." A four-foot photo cutout on a stick was a stand-in for the real Frank, a mixed-breed rescue, at the wedding of Chelsea and Tinos in January 2024. Annmarie and Travis Andrade couldn't forget their cat, Avery, as they wed at The Groton Inn in October 2024. Avery's likeness adorned the wedding cake. P H OTO : K E L S E Y H A L E Y M E D I A P H OTO S : J E S S E WA N G P H OTO G R A P H Y Alpacas from the nearby Harvard Alpaca Farm made a cameo during cocktail hour at the Andrades' wedding. Percent of soon-to-wed pet parents who said they'd include their pet in their wedding Percent of pet parents who would remove certain guests in favor of their pet Percent of pet parents that said they'd walk down the aisle with a cat or dog – if the venue allowed it Percent of pet parents who screen for venues that allow animals Percent of pet parents who plan a special post-wedding dish for their pet Fur Better or Worse Stats show pets in weddings are the norm Sources: Rover.com, OnePoll 81 72 56 70 68 Annmarie shares that the farm and the The Groton Inn staff worked seamlessly to make the visit a success. It may be another sign of the times, as most venues are happy to work with couples to include their dogs, cats, horses, or even pigs, says Marchessault, the pet wedding planner. Most, however, recommend that animals leave the premises once the food is served. "Almost every venue manager has been crazy nice, and accom- modating," Marchessault said. n

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