It is one of the most solemn days of a woman's life. Whether your ceremony is a civil service in front of a judge, or a religious celebration with a clergy member officiating, your wedding day is one of the few in your life when you will take an honest-to-goodness vow that will dictate how the rest of your life is led. So, it stands to reason, that there, by your side, next to the man to whom you are pledging to spend the rest of your life, you want ... your dog?

Sure, dogs are loyal companions. Some are even know to dial 911 or rescue drowning children from swimming pools. But, face it, they are more often known for barking, peeing and playing at inopportune times. Yet, despite their inherent animal manners, an increasing number of brides and grooms are opting to count on their canine companions to be on their best behavior and be a part of their wedding ceremony.

Los Angeles wedding planner Randie Pellegrini estimates that as many as 60 percent of her clients include their pets in their nuptials. Most pet participants are dogs, although Pellegrini also has seen cats, snakes, butterflies and even an elephant at the altar. And it certainly is celebrity territory: Everyone from Adam Sander to Tori Spelling to Carmen Electra has included animal "family members" in their nuptials. While it may seem like having a pet at a wedding is just another example of weddings gone amok, experts like Pellegrini say the motivation to have your dog by your side is different from the urge to have synchronized swimmers, gold-plated wedding cake toppers or other over-the-top accoutrements.

New Jersey resident Jacalyn Lee says her Labrador/Beagle mix, Tyler, was a significant player in the life changes that she and her fiancŽ, Rio, shared together during the last year. The couple adopted Tyler in January 2006, which caused them to look to buy a pet-friendly apartment. When Rio proposed, it was with a ring presented to her affixed to Tyler's collar. Since Tyler was a major player in their lives, it was a no-brainer for them to decide to include him in the October wedding.

Tyler's role was ring bearer, with a pillow on his collar. Lee says that most of the venues they considered were open to having the pup walk down the aisle with the happy couple.

Wedding planners who've watched the trend believe that genuine emotion, not immaturity, exhibitionism or pretension, is the motivation behind most couples' decisions to include pets in one of life's most momentous occasions.

"I do not see people who want to have animals in their weddings because they want a gimmick," says Lynda Barness, president of I Do Wedding Consulting in Philadelphia. "It is dog lovers where the animal is an absolute part of the family."

Dogs are popular pets. Some 43 million households - about 39 percent of all U.S. households - own at least one, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association's 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey. Nearly three-quarters of dog-owning respondents say they consider their pet as a child or family member.

With couples marrying later in life, the time an engaged man or woman has shared with a cherished pet can be longer than the period of time they've known their intended. When it comes to taking the big step, it helps to have a faithful friend - bridesmaids, groomsmen and your best four-footed friend - at your side.

Katie Chasen had no plans to have her yellow lab, Floyd, in her wedding, but her husband-to-be, Joe, thought differently. He secretly worked with their wedding planner to have Floyd be the guest ring bearer for their Sept. 4, 2004, ceremony at Navy Pier in Chicago.

"He wanted to give me a big surprise on the wedding day - that was it," says Chasen, a Pilates instructor.

When it was time for the best man to present the ring, Joe acted out the classic wedding nightmare scenario: He acted as if he forgot it. Floyd, then 7-months-old and about 100 pounds, came to the rescue. Although he didn't actually have the ring on him - the best man had it all along - Floyd was spruced up in a doggy tux and a ring pillow, all of which he stopped to tear off halfway down the aisle. A call from Chasen helped coax him the rest of the way.

"In planning I would have been very nervous," she says. "It was nice in the moment."

After getting a few paw prints on the bride's dress and sticking around for a few photos, Floyd left with the trainer who was in charge of him for the day. Chasen, who was nervous to be leaving him for the honeymoon, says having Floyd at the wedding helped take away all the tension. She says having your pet their helps you add your personal touch to the ceremony.

"I think that if it's something that matters to you, they should be there," she says.

For others, another benefit to having their pet at the ceremony - and in their wedding photos - is having a positive memory to cherish when the pet is long gone. "The fact that we have pictures of [Turtle] decked out in a flowered collar and leash and walking down the aisle are a great source of comfort," says San Diego's Jonathan Heller, of his wife's departed Weimaraner/Labrador mix.

No matter what the original motivation, Barness says couples don't need to worry about their furry friends getting more "oohs and aaahs" than they do. "I do not think anything deflects attention off of the bride and groom. Flower girls are cute. Processionals have all these other elements all the time and nothing takes away from the wedding couple."

Horse Sense About Dogs and 'I Do's'
Serious about including a pet in the wedding party? To pull it off with no howling - from your dog or from you - keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure your pup is welcome.
  Some places of worship and reception locations have a "No Dogs Allowed" policy, says Marilyn Oliveira, senior editor with weddingchannel.com. If your dog can't come in, give him an outside task, such as serving as a greeter with a "Welcome to the Wedding" sign.
• Extroverted pets will be the most comfortable in a wedding situation.
  Make sure your pet's breed and temperament are suitable for the ceremony. If your pet likes to sleep in a crate, bring it along and let him sleep during the ceremony, says Marc Marrone, Martha Stewart's resident pet expert and host of the Sirius radio show "Petkeeping."
• When selecting your wedding attendants, pick someone to be in charge of your four-legged family member.
  "It can't be the bride," cautions Lynda Barness, president of I Do Wedding Consulting in Philadelphia. "Your dog sitter should be responsible for walking the dog before and after the ceremony, making sure the dog does what is asked of him. Resist the urge to have the cute flower girl be your designated dog sitter. The person in charge needs to be a grown up who can prevent your dog from jumping on someone clad in her Sunday best.
• Practice makes perfect.
  If Rover's role is ring bearer or best dog, plan a few trial runs so he's familiar with his duties. Allow plenty of time for him to sniff out the location in advance, says Marrone. Recognize that your dog may not follow your script for his role, he adds. If he veers off course, literally or figuratively, chances are it will be an amusing, memorable moment for you and your guests.
• Plan to have your dog be part of the photographs, but don't feel the need to have your furry friend in every single shot.
  Shooting the photos with the dog first allows your dog sitter to go for a walk with Rover if he starts to get antsy. Having the photographer keep a few treats nearby won't hurt either.
• Have a back-up plan.
  Just as brides with outdoor ceremonies have contingencies for rain, brides with canine bridesmaids need to think about what will happen - in advance - if the dog forgets her housetraining or gets a whiff of the appetizers and decides to get a snack. Just as you'll do a number of fittings for your dresses and your beau's tux, make sure you test the flowers, veil, leash, collar, whatever it is you intend to have you pup wear in advance. If something is going to be chewed to bits, you want to know before the big day. ProFlowers Floral recommends using roses, because they are not toxic to dogs that eat the flora, unlike lilies or gardenias.

- M.L. and Timothy R. Schulte