You wouldn’t get married without your best friend

You’ve imagined walking down the aisle, and your dog is right there. Maybe carrying the rings. Maybe sitting quietly at your feet. Maybe just losing their mind with excitement when they see you in the dress.
 
But you’ve also imagined the other bits. Who walks them? Who feeds them? Who keeps them calm when a hundred people want to say hello? Who gets them home safely while you’re still dancing at midnight?
 
The Pawfectionist provides a complete wedding day chaperone service. We collect your dog, dress them, handle them through the ceremony and photos, manage them at the reception if you’d like, and settle them safely at home while you focus on getting married.
@the.pawfectionist_aus One of the best parts of my job. I love chaperoning dogs to weddings. It is so beautiful to see the love between two people as well as the love they have for their dog. We chaperone dogs to weddings throughout Melbourne and surrounds. If you want your dog at your wedding, get in contact. ☎️ #melbourne #weddings #love #ceremony #dogs #dogtrainer #fyp #dogchaperone #thepawfectionist ♬ som original – Casais Perfeitos

Why couples choose The Pawfectionist

Professional Dog Trainers

Your dog is handled by a qualified dog trainer, not a pet sitter or well-meaning family friend. We read behaviour, manage stress, and handle the unexpected calmly. Every dog is different, and we treat them that way.

We Understand Weddings

Belinda isn’t just a canine behaviour specialist, she’s a former function coordinator who ran weddings for years. She knows the run sheet, the photographer’s timing, the venue logistics, and how to slot your dog into all of it without disrupting the flow.

Your Dog’s Day, Captured

When Belinda is your chaperone, you’ll get informal phone footage and photos of your dog’s wedding day. The moments you missed while you were busy getting married. It’s not professional videography, it’s real-life documentary. The walk, the ceremony, the cuddles at home. You’ll be too busy to see it yourself. We make sure you don’t miss it.

“Belinda is amazing! I used her as a dog chaperone for my wedding last week, she came and picked Reya up from our accommodation and took her to the venue (and tidied her up as she decided to play in mud just before being picked up), she helped manage her during the ceremony so as she remained calm and quiet and then handled her while waiting for Reya to be needed for photos. When Reya was no longer needed at the venue Belinda took her back to the accommodation for us.

Using The Pawfectionist made our day so much more relaxing and was so important for us to have Reya there on our big day. I love The Pawfectionist!”

~ Nicole & TAVIs with Reya

How Our Pricing Works

Simple, honest, door-to-door pricing. No hidden fees, no surprise surcharges.

Our pricing is based on an hourly rate, calculated from the moment your chaperone leaves Wattle Glen to the moment they return home. That covers everything: travel, venue time, dog care, and getting your dog safely home.

After your free consultation, we’ll map out your day’s timeline together and send you a clear, itemised quote.

A note on pickup locations: if your dog is based somewhere other than your home (for example, staying with family the night before), pickup and drop-off fees may apply. We’ll quote these during your consultation once we know the logistics.

Handler Rates

Belinda — $250/hr
Lead chaperone, professional trainer, former function coordinator. Includes video and photo content of your dog’s day.

Standard chaperone — $200/hr
Andrew or trained team member. Full chaperone service.

Second handler — +$100/hr
Added to any booking for multi-dog households or extra coverage.

Belinda’s rate applies whenever Belinda is your chaperone. Whether you’ve specifically requested her or she’s the only handler available on your date.

Paws and Vows

Ceremony + photos, then home safe

From $600 — 3-hour minimum

Your dog at the ceremony and in the couple photos, then home to settle for the night.

What’s included:

  • Free initial consultation
  • Pre-wedding meet & greet in your home
  • Pre-ceremony walk and settling
  • Dress your dog in their wedding attire (provided by you)
  • Chaperone during the ceremony
  • Photo coordination with your photographer
  • Transport home and settle your dog in
  • All care: water, treats, toilet breaks, comfort checks

Typical 4-hour booking: $800 (standard handler) or $1,000 (Belinda)

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Paws on the Dance Floor

Ceremony + reception

From $1,000 — 5-hour minimum

Because every dance floor needs a furry guest.

Everything in Paws and Vows, plus:

  • Dog stays for cocktail hour and/or reception
  • Guest greeting and mingling, supervised
  • Additional photo opportunities throughout
  • Ongoing comfort management: quiet time, shade, water, rest
  • With Belinda: Informal phone photos and video moments from your dog’s day, delivered digitally

Typical 6-hour booking: $1,200 (standard handler) or $1,500 (Belinda)

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Photo credit: Zoe Louise Photography
Photo credit: Zoe Louise Photography

Happily Ever After

Full day + content package — limited availability

From $1,750 (Belinda, 1 dog) or from $2,450 (Belinda + second handler, 2 dogs) — 7-hour minimum

The complete experience.

Everything in Paws on the Dance Floor, plus:

  • Extended venue time: ceremony through to speeches, first dance, cake cutting
  • 2–3 minute highlight reel of phone footage capturing your dog’s wedding day, plus curated photos, delivered within 14 days
  • Informal and documentary-style, not professional videography
  • Dog settled at home with dinner and a chew treat
  • Follow-up text or call to confirm your dog is settled for the night

Typical 8-hour booking:
1 dog: $2,000 (Belinda)
2 dogs: $2,800 (Belinda + second handler)

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How handlers and bookings work

Handler assignment

For Paws and Vows and Paws on the Dance Floor, the chaperone you meet during your pre-wedding consultation is the same person who will handle your dog on the day, depending on availability. Consistency matters: your dog already knows them, and they already know your run sheet.

For Happily Ever After, Belinda is guaranteed as your lead chaperone (unless illness or emergency prevents it). Two-dog households require a second handler, included in the pricing. This ensures every dog gets dedicated attention and the best possible photo and video content.

Booking limits

We only take one Happily Ever After booking per day. Spaces are limited, especially during peak wedding season, so book early to secure your date.

“When we made the decision that we could not have our wedding without our naughty dogs, we had to have the best in town trainers to assist on the day! We were so lucky to have been referred to Belinda and Andrew who did a marvelous job in looking after our dogs, transporting them to the venue and keeping them calm during the wedding. They are such absolute legends too – they went above and beyond when a freak storm hit during the wedding and quickly escorted the dogs to safety. Not to mention, assist our guests with umbrellas. True professionals, trustworthy, reliable and all round awesome people. Thank you Belinda and Andrew – our dogs were in the best hands xx”

~ Dave & Ev with Snoopy, Maia & Scooby Doo

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Optional extras

Available on any tier. Add these to your quote during your consultation.
 
  • Additional dog (same household), Paws and Vows or Paws on the Dance Floor — +$300
  • Second handler, any tier — +$100/hr
  • Pre-wedding training session (aisle walking, ring bearing, posing), 1 hr — $200
  • Extra familiarisation session (nervous or reactive dogs), 1 hr — $150
  • Rehearsal attendance, up to 1 hr at venue — $200
  • Overnight pet sitting, wedding night (in our home) — $150
  • Honeymoon care, extended boarding (in our home or yours) — POA
  • Pre-wedding groom, bath, blow-dry, brush out — POA

How it works

Free consultation

Tell us about your wedding, your dog, and how you’d like them involved.

Custom quote

We map out the day’s timeline and send you a clear, itemised quote.

Secure your date

A 30% deposit locks in your wedding date.

Pre-wedding meet & greet

Your dedicated handler visits you at home to meet your dog and walk through the final details.

Wedding day

We handle everything. You focus on getting married.

The fine print

Deposit: 30% non-refundable booking fee to secure your date.

Balance: Due 14 days before the wedding.

Cancellation: Full refund of payments made beyond the booking fee if cancelled 30+ days prior.

Quote validity: Quotes are valid for 14 days.

What the hourly rate covers: All travel (Wattle Glen door-to-door), venue time, dog care, settling your dog at home. No hidden extras.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’re based in Wattle Glen, in Melbourne’s outer north-east. We regularly service weddings across the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, inner Melbourne, and surrounding regions. Our hourly rate covers all travel. Let us know your venue during your consultation and we’ll confirm.

We work with dogs of all temperaments. Our professional training background means we can read your dog’s stress signals and manage their experience accordingly. For nervous or reactive dogs, we recommend adding a second familiarisation session so your dog knows us before the day.

You provide the attire – bow tie, collar, flower crown, tux, whatever suits your day. We’ll dress them on the day and make sure they’re comfortable in it. If they hate it, we’ll talk you through alternatives. We do recommend getting your dog used to the attire in advance of the day.

We roll with it. Wedding days rarely go exactly to plan, and we’ve worked enough events to handle changes calmly. If your venue changes or timing shifts, just let us know as soon as you can and we’ll adjust. Our hourly rate covers the time we’re with your dog, so a venue swap doesn’t change the structure of your booking.

As early as possible, especially for Spring and Autumn weddings. Saturdays in peak season book out months ahead. Our Happily Ever After tier is limited to one booking per day, so if that’s the package you want, get in touch as soon as your date is locked in.

Yes. We carry full public liability insurance and we’re happy to provide certification to your venue if they require it.

Usually yes. One chaperone can often handle two dogs from the same household, but it depends on the dogs. Some pairings work fine with a single handler, others need one-on-one attention. We’ll assess this at your consultation and recommend the right handler-to-dog ratio for your wedding. You can always add an extra chaperone if you’d prefer one handler per dog. For our Happily Ever After tier, one chaperone per dog is required so every dog gets full attention and we can capture great content of each of them.

Absolutely. We’ll introduce ourselves to your photographer on the day and work with them to get the shots you want. Belinda’s background as a former function coordinator means she understands run sheets and photographer timing, so we slot into your schedule without disrupting flow.

The content we capture is phone footage, not professional videography. It’s there to give you a window into your dog’s day; the moments you’ll miss while you’re busy getting married. Think of it as a personal highlight reel rather than a polished production. If you want professionally shot dog footage, your wedding videographer can usually accommodate this, and we’re happy to coordinate with them.

We’re happy to chaperone any day of the week, including elopements, registry weddings, vow renewals, and engagement shoots. The same pricing structure applies. Just tell us what you’re planning during your consultation.

Yes, wholeheartedly. We chaperone for couples of every kind and take real pride in being part of weddings that don’t fit the traditional mould. Whether you’re a same-sex couple, neurodivergent, disabled, polyamorous, or simply doing your wedding your own way, you’re welcome here. We’ll meet you where you are, use the language and pronouns you use, and make sure your dog’s part of the day reflects who you actually are as a couple.