SPOTLIGHT: NICOLE JOHNSON

Interview by Molly Rose

She’s “making the impawsible pawsible.” Meet WedPets owner Nicole Johnson, the selfdescribed ‘basic dog mom’ who is making sure furry family members can be by the bride and grooms’ side for their special day. She’s the ‘chau-fur’ who makes sure your pup is prepared for any role — from pet of honor to photographer’s best friend.

Nicole is a wife and a mom to almost 2-year-old baby boy Lane. She’s a proud dog mom to chocolate lab ‘Ike’ and German Shepard ‘Greta.’ For years, Nicole and her husband Dane have fostered dogs, foster failed and chauffeured beloved dogs (and even a cat) to attend their owners’ big day.

“I have always felt the animals need a voice. Our pets are such inherently caring creatures, they love us back tenfold,” she said. “We need to do right by them, and we can learn so much from them.”

Saint Louis Bride had the opportunity to chat with Nicole of WedPets and here’s what she had to say…

SLB: TELL ME THE STORY OF HOW THIS BUSINESS GOT STARTED.

NJ: My husband Dane and I were married in August 2017 and we had our dog Greta, she was one when we were married. It became complicated, we had a window of time between the ceremony and the reception. We wanted to be able to have her brought there then brought somewhere where she would be taken care of. We ended up using a guest and they didn’t mind but we felt bad about it.

When we adopted our dog, we just kind of dove in head rst, it became something we were really passionate about and got involved in the rescue community. We had done our fair share of fostering pets, so we’ve handled a lot of breeds and temperaments.

SLB: WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

NJ: Maybe a couple wants to dog brought in for photos or want the dog to walk down the aisle, those are the two biggest asks.

For the photo package we cover transport both ways to the venue and back and two hours of handling, including the drive time. That gives them plenty of time to get photos. The next tier is if the guest wants their pet to play a role in the ceremony. Sometimes they become greets and sit outside a chapel or church or by the guest book. Every couple might have a different vision. Often, venues will welcome pets if there’s a designated handler.

SLB: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE PET GIGS YOU’VE ORGANIZED?

NJ: We had our rst cat this past October. I try to be an equal opportunist, but we’ve only had dogs until that month. She was in some photos and then chilled in a room and then they did post ceremony photos. The cat was named ‘toothless’ after How to Train Your Dragon, even though the cat had all its teeth.

They also had a dog so the dog walked down the aisle, they thought it would be too stressful for the cat and we don’t want any runners. Everybody had a role. It was a lot of fun.

SLB: WHAT ABOUT MULTIPLE PETS?

NJ: This past month we basically brought an entire pack to a wedding, a family with ve dogs – they were in the rescue community. It requires two handlers. We rolled up ve dogs deep, we did some photos with the arch in the background and it was magical.

SLB: IT CAN BE HARD TO GET THAT PERFECT SHOT WITH DOGS, ANY TRICKS YOU USE TO HELP THE PHOTOGRAPHER?

NJ: We have a good arsenal of crazy animal noises we can bust out, like some rooster crows. Photographers don’t always need the help but if they do, we have treat bags and are happy to assist.

SLB: WHAT ABOUT DOGS WHO ARE STRESSED OUT FROM ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY?

NJ: We will have some one-on-one time. Sometimes that means we will just go chill in the car when it’s a downtime moment, that gives the dog(s) a moment to relax. We will give them some treats and water. One of the hardest parts is saying goodbye to these pets we have bonded with.

SLB: AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ASSISTED AS SO MANY WEDDINGS OVER THE YEARS, WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE TO BRIDES? For more information on Nicole’s services and pricing information visit www.wedpetsstl.com

NJ: Consider the rst look, your wedding day is a marathon but can feel like a sprint. My groom and I were up in the air about a rst look, so we did our own thing and decided on a “sneak peek” before we were photo ready. It gave us a chance to shake our nerves and hug it out before all the rushing began. We got coffee and sat outside at our favorite neighborhood shop and our photographer popper by and snagged some photos too. We also had our dog join us and she enjoyed a pup cup! It was a wonderful way to kick off our wedding day. ♥