Rachel, Chris & Their Hound Inspired Wedding

When Rachel and Chris got in touch after meeting us at the Wedding Event with a Difference back in February, I was on instant countdown to their Autumnal wedding and couldn't wait to meet their two beautiful boys - Harry and William.

Harry is an adorable, 11 year old Westie and full of the character of a typical Terrier! He's cheeky and so lovingly grumbly all in one and is as playful his baby Brother, William!

William, a one year old Greyhound, is the newest addition to the Butler-Mallett household and his emotional yet uplifting story is one that just can't be ignored.

Rachel first came across William through her work with the RSPCA after hearing of the neglect and near death experience that William had had to endure through his previous owners - both of whom have since been given a life-long ban from ever owning animals again, along with a hefty fine - Hoorah!

William's story had attracted so much attention that even Channel 5 wanted to know. So much so, that he even made an appearance on Alan Davies Dog Rescuers just a few months ago.

William is still only young but Rachel and Chris' efforts in rebuilding his confidence is inspiring and the focus and time that they've given him to ensure his rough start in life won't have lasting damage is beyond admirable.

As with all of our Wedding Day Dogs, our 'meet and greet' service comes as standard and is to me, vital in allowing your dogs to feel as comfortable as possible in our care.

When I met with Rachel in September, Harry, William and myself became instant pals (possibly something to do with the delibakies I'd brought along for bribery...) and it was great to get to know Rachel and Chris better, even more exciting to hear that their wedding had a very special theme - DOGS!!

I'm not joking.

If having their beloved boys there wasn't enough, Rachel and Chris went one step further. Tables were named after dog breeds, hounds appeared on the invites and to top it off - doggy biscuit wedding favours! I thought I was dog mad but I reckon Rachel is one step ahead of me - a girl after my own heart.

After a tiring day for Harry and William, we headed back to their home to look after them for a few hours and after a brief moment of madness, 10 minutes of play, a walk and some dinner, they curled up for the evening and got some well earned rest!

It was an absolute joy to meet Rachel and Chris, to look after their boys and to complete their special day by having them at their wedding and after what seems to be a once in a lifetime honeymoon in Australia, Rachel left us some truly lovely words as a 'thank you!'

When I was planning my wedding, I knew immediately that I'd want my two dogs Harry and William there. They are such a huge part of our lives and it wouldn't have felt right to not have them a part of our special day.

So, after deciding that our Westie Harry would be the ring-bearer and that our greyhound William would be the page boy, we started to think about the logistics of having them there on the day. Turns it out isn't so easy to figure this out when all your friends an...d family will also be at the wedding! We were planning on my uncle taking them to kennels after the ceremony and photos, but it would have meant him missing out on part of the meal! Not only that, but I wasn't overly keen on putting William in kennels as he is a rescue and I wasn't sure on how he would cope, even if it was just for an evening.

Then I found out about Hurley's Wedding Day Dogs through a wedding fair and it provided the perfect solution. Michelle has been brilliant from the moment I first called enquiring about the service. A couple of weeks before the wedding day, Michelle came round to my house to visit William and Harry - and they absolutely adored her straightaway! On the big day, Michelle and her husband Brian picked up William and Harry from my house, took them for a walk and then made sure that they were at the wedding venue in good time. The dogs played their part in the ceremony (and stole the show!) and appeared in the photos, before Michelle and Brian took them back to my house and looked after them for a few hours.

They also provided the most amazing tweed bow tie collars for them to wear on the day. Both dogs looked so smart! These were made to order and Michelle came back round to see the dogs a couple of days before the wedding to make sure that they fitted.

My husband Chris and I both agree that it was worth every penny because it meant that we could have our dogs there on the wedding day and not have to worry about them. I am a natural worrier when it comes to my dogs, but on the day itself I didn't worry about them at all as I knew they were in more than capable hands. On top of that, Michelle and Brian are such lovely people and you can tell they are genuine dog-lovers - what more could you ask for? We absolute 100% recommend Hurley's Wedding Day Dogs - they offer a professional yet personal service and are overall absolutely brilliant.