About Wedding Pet Services

The mission

The wedding industry doesn't have a real home for pet care. Couples wanting their dog at the ceremony are stitching together searches across general pet sitting platforms, Yelp, and Reddit — with no good way to compare options side-by-side.

Wedding Pet Services exists to be that home: a focused directory where engaged couples can browse providers, compare what each one offers, and find someone who fits their day. Every listing here is authored by the vendor it represents — nothing goes public until the vendor claims it and writes it in their own voice.

Who runs this

Hi, I'm Nick Hughes — founder, sole operator, and the only person you'll ever hear from at this site.

I'm based in San Diego, California, recently transplanted from Oregon where I was born and raised. You can verify me on LinkedIn.

This is an independent operation. No parent company, no investors, no hidden agenda. One person trying to build something useful for an underserved niche.

Reach me directly: hello@weddingpetservices.com

How it started

A few months ago, I attended a friend's wedding. They'd booked a wedding pet attendant who handled their dog through the ceremony, photos, and reception — and having the dog there made the whole day more fun. I loved the inclusion of it, and the joy it brought the couple and all of us who knew and loved that dog.

When I got home, I looked up "wedding pet sitter" on the major wedding directories. The Knot had nothing under a relevant category. Wedding Wire had it buried under "Rentals." Google's results were dominated by general pet sitters who don't necessarily do weddings, plus a handful of specialists with great websites but limited national reach.

That gap was the project. I'm using a background in automation and web development to build a structured, searchable home for wedding pet professionals — and the couples who need them.

Where this is right now

I want to be straight with you: this is early. The directory is young, I'm building it in the open, and I'm bringing on the first practitioners by hand. I'd rather you know that than discover it.

That's also the opportunity. Vendors who claim and publish now establish their presence and their ranking before the directory fills out — while visibility is still easy to own. Early isn't a risk here; it's a head start. Founding vendors get in front of couples and planners as they start arriving, not after the space is crowded.

How it works (for couples)

1. Search — by city, state, or attribute (insured, overnight care, and more). Wedding pet chaperones and professional pet providers are shown in separate sections so you can choose the level of service that fits.
2. Compare — every listing surfaces what the vendor offers, their certifications, pricing, and how they work — all in the vendor's own words.
3. Connect — inquire directly from a vendor's listing. We route the first message and confirm a response landed, then step away so you and the vendor can plan the day together.

No fee for couples — what you pay the vendor goes to the vendor. No booking fees, no commission on top.

How it works (for vendors)

I find wedding pet vendors through public web research and draft a sample listing from what's on your site, as a starting point. That draft stays in a private preview that only you and I can see. It is never visible to couples. You get a personal email from me with a link to open it, and from there you can claim it, accept it, or tell me to delete it entirely.

Claiming is free. Once you claim, you take ownership and rewrite the listing in your own voice — your services, your tone, your standards, your own photos. I build the platform; you author the page. Only after you claim and publish does the listing go live where couples searching can find you.

You also choose how you're shown. Wedding pet chaperones and professional pet providers appear in their own clearly labeled sections, so the level of service you've built isn't blurred together with everyone else's:

You select which one fits you when you publish, and you can change it anytime. Couples see the two groups side by side, so specialists aren't diluted by being grouped with generalists. Within each group, ranking is based on how complete your listing is — no secret algorithm, and no buying your way past someone in a higher tier.

More detail on the for-vendors page.

FAQ