To Have and to Hold – the Most Beautiful Wedding Vows

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To Love You Without Reservation

I, (Bride’s Name), take you, (Groom’s Name), to be my (lawfully wedded) husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.
On this special day, I (affirm/give) to you in the presence of God and all those in attendance my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your (faithful) wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.

I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

I, (Groom’s Name), take you, (Bride’s Name), to be my (lawfully wedded) wife, knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special and holy day, I (affirm/give) to you in the presence of God and all those in attendance my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your faithful husband in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.

I promise to love you without reservation, honor and respect you, provide for your needs as best I can, protect you from harm, comfort you in times of distress, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Traditional

 I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.

In the presence of God and these our friends I take thee to be my husband/wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto thee a loving and faithful husband/wife so long as we both shall live.

 Very Personal

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.

I, [name], choose you [name] to be my [husband/wife], to respect you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life.

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the (man/woman) you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.

More…

(Name), I promise to love and care for you and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love.
I will always be honest with you, kind, patient, and forgiving. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. I love you.

I (name), take you (name), to be my wife/husband, to share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as I pledge my faith and love to you. Just as this ring I give you today is a circle without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed.”

(Name), do you pledge to love (name) and throughout your years together to be honest, faithful, and kind to her/him? Do you pledge to give to her/him the same happiness she/he gives to you, and to respect her for who she is, not who you want her to be? (each responds, “I do.”)

(Name), with all my love, I take you to be my wife/husband. I will love you through good and the bad, through joy and the sorrow. I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life’s experiences and share one another’s dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in an loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live.

(Name), I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve our goals, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years.

(Name), I take you to be my wife/husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband/wife, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.

DIY Star for your Wedding Dessert Buffet

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As promised – here comes the next installment of my DIY series!

This time it’s a super-delicious chocolate cake that’s not too hard to make and that can easily be the superstar of your dessert buffet! It’s incredibly rich and moist, and you can dress it up for your wedding with edible gold powder (from amazon.com) and a cake topper – done! One cake yields 16 slices – best with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Make ahead: up to 2 weeks (wrap and freeze); fresh fruit decorations must go on shortly before serving; edible gold can be applied before freezing.

Here is the recipe:

Cake/Filling:

8 oz top-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (e.g. Ghirardelli, Valrhona)

12 tbsp unsalted butter in 1/2 inch pieces

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp instant espresso powder

7 oz sliced almonds, lightly toasted (or, if using gold decor instead of chopped almonds for the sides, only 4 oz)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

5 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh raspberries (plus 16 berries for decoration if using)

1/4 cup seedless best-quality raspberry jam

Glaze:

5 oz top-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Heat oven to 325 F; rack in middle position. Line two 9-inch round cake pans (at least 2 inch high) with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler until smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, add vanilla and espresso powder. If using chopped almonds for garnish of cake sides, process 3/4 cups almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped; set aside. (Skip this step if using something else for garnish of cake sides). Grind 1 cup almonds finely, add flour and salt and continue processing until combined; transfer to medium bowl. Process eggs in food processor until light and doubled in volume, adding sugar. With whisk, fold egg mix into chocolate mix until only few streaks remain; sprinkle almond mix over by and by, gently whisking, until just combined. Divide batter between prepared pans, smooth top, bake until center is firm and toothpick comes out with few crumbs attached, ca. 14-16 min. Let cool in pans; loosen sides and invert cakes on cardboard rounds, then re-invert ONE cake so that its top is facing up again. For filling, coarsely mash 1/2 cup raspberries and stir in jam until just combined. Spread onto cake layer with the top side up; top with second cake, bottom side up. Transfer whole cake to wire rack set over baking sheet or big sheet of aluminum foil. For glaze, melt chocolate and cream in double boiler and whisk until very smooth. Pour glaze onto center of assembled cake, spreading evenly with offset spatula on top and sides. Decorate as desired (for look as photo shows: chopped almonds on the sides, 16 individual raspberries on top; for wedding-themed look: edible gold powder or flakes and cake topper). Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least one hour.

From Inner Mongolia with Love…

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Last September, I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending a wedding in Inner Mongolia – my son’s! My beautiful daughter-in-law is from the capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, where all her family is still living. Our children first got married in California – and then the bride’s Mom threw them another wedding “back home.” And we were invited. It was just fabulous – but very different from what I had expected.

First of all, our family was simply blown away by the incredible warmth and hospitality of our new family in Inner Mongolia, but also in general by the friendliness and charm of everyone we met during our stay. The language barrier did not really seem to matter; we communicated with smiles and gestures (and at the wedding itself, through translators, of course).

The wedding celebration was a true East-meets-West “fusion” affair, equal parts Red Carpet glamour (think the “Oscars”) and Mongolian customs and entertainment. The venue: the Grand Ballroom at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hohhot – the time: noon and early afternoon – and the theme: a lavish banquet to celebrate the union not only of two young people, but also of two entire families. Definitely a reason for a big party!

Before the ceremony, the bride was fed traditional, homemade dumplings (her Mom had gotten up at 5 in the morning to make them herself), and the couple and the bride’s parents shared a tea ceremony which officially makes the groom part of the bride’s family. The couple then proceeded to greet their guests.

The entrance of the Grand Ballroom was decorated with billboard-sized photos of the bride and groom in various attires – from traditional Chinese garb to Western wedding finery to fun outfits evoking James Bond and his attractive escorts.

The Ballroom itself was a sea of flowers and tulle, centered on a catwalk and stage with a backdrop of an IMAX-theater size movie screen where a slideshow of the couple was playing.

An Emcee then introduced the groom onstage and sent him along the catwalk to propose to his waiting bride and to escort her on stage, followed by the mothers and fathers.

The wedding consisted of several ceremonies: lighting candles together, mixing juice together and sharing the mix (similar to Western customs), then thanking the parents with bouquets of flowers for raising the wonderful person they were going to marry (I liked that part – we should introduce that to American weddings as well!) and finally tying the knot, Mongolian style: the mothers tie the two ends of one long ribbon to the pinky fingers of their respective new children – and once they are united, the couple and their parents push open the (digital) portal of happiness on the huge video screen!

Time for the banquet! The bride and groom quickly changed attire; the bride into traditional red and gold, and the groom into a suit, and then began their hard work: serving every single one of their 250 guests “mautai,” the high-proof liquor that can claim the status of national beverage. While the two were still busy, the guests sat down to a banquet of epic proportions with true truckloads of Mongolian food (incredibly tasty!) and floods of alcohol (everyone there having a lot more practice than we Westerners!).

The local custom calls for toasts from everyone to everyone… and many, many smiles!

All the while, the guests were entertained with performances of traditional Mongolian music and dance – a show fit for royalty! The most spectacular dance required the ballerinas to balance higher and higher stacks of small porcelain bowls on their heads without ever dropping one, and miraculously, it worked!

Finally, towards the end of the party, the newlyweds were done with serving all their guests and could themselves begin enjoying some of the great food. A welcome break, before the photographer beckoned for the very official family photos, traditionally arranged and staged – a serious affair!

While the festivities were lavish and the setting luxurious, the most striking impression for us Westerners was the uncomplicated friendship, boundless generosity, and warm hospitality extended to us. We are so happy to have Chinese family now! We couldn’t possibly wish for anything better…

And happily ever after!

 

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU – PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR COMMENTS!

YOURS – JUTTA

 

 

 

Love Poetry

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When it comes to composing a ceremony text, readings, and their wedding vows, most brides (and grooms) are stricken with a sudden attack of writer’s block. Been there, felt that…

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, here are a few beautiful poems to help you get in the mood:

Hope you are feeling romantically inspired! All of these make great readings and can even be a part of what you want to promise your beloved at the ceremony.

And here comes the text that is probably the single most-spoken at any wedding ceremony – from the New Testament, 1 Corinthians:

 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 8Love never fails…

 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

To this, I have nothing more to add…

Come DIY with me!

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Today I’ll be very personal. I’ll talk some about myself… not too much, no worries. But this is something I really care about: DIY. I was brought up on it, and now it’s deeply ingrained in my personality.

Growing up in postwar Germany, the rules of everyday life were a lot different from today and here. We practiced recycling before the term was even invented – simply out of necessity. With our parents’ memories of hunger and wartime shortages still fresh, we learned never to waste anything, especially not food, and never to throw anything away. Everyday goods were precious. Money was scarce. We became very inventive in creating something out of nothing, in recycling odd things into something new and exciting. And naturally, whatever we could possibly craft ourselves, we would – we’d never spend money on preserves, jams, knit sweaters, crocheted vests, embroidered tablecloths – all things that could be home-made. It became second nature.

When finally I was able to afford the chic sweaters and the specialty preserves I had secretly been longing for, the excitement wore off surprisingly fast. While these things did convey a certain feeling of status and achievement, their mass-produced nature under their polished surfaces came with a disappointing lack of “soul” and charm. After a while, I quietly reverted to DIY as far as my super-busy professional and domestic life allowed. Which was not much.

When my son and his fiancee announced their wedding plans and entrusted the details to me, I immediately welcomed the opportunity for DIY. Of course, I did not hire a wedding planner – I became one myself. I helped the couple define a color and overall style, and then I plunged into creating all the facets that together make a great celebration. When I could not find a style of invitation perfectly suited to what I was planning, I designed one myself and pulled all the materials together. When I couldn’t find really meaningful wedding favors, I came up with a DIY project that I created and executed all by myself (and don’t be fooled – both these projects were rather more expensive than the store-bought run-of-the-mill variety, not counting the hours that went into them). But I found the whole hands-on experience incredibly rewarding, and everyone – bride and groom and all the guests – were happy with the intensely personal touches that my creative process, time and effort had infused into the whole glamorous affair. DIY does not necessarily mean “homespun” or “awkward,” but rather – “personal” and “with love!”

So, I have decided to post a series of DIY ideas here. They’ll pop up periodically – so make sure to come back and check them out!  Here is what I have for you so far: a project for your own wedding cake or cake bar, with recipes; a cute and inexpensive decoration kit; a lot of ideas for centerpieces; and some really cute save-the-dates, invitations, table cards and the like. Nothing too difficult, and nothing too time-consuming. Also think of enlisting help – mothers and bridesmaids being a natural choice…

And without further ado, let’s get started with the “Save-the-Dates!”

 

Live from the SF Wedding & Celebrations Fair!

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I am just here at the Bay Area Wedding & Celebrations Fair at the Parc 55 Wyndham hotel in downtown San Francisco, and the whole fourth floor and Grand Ballroom is just buzzing with excitement. Brides and grooms-to-be, mothers, whole families are crowding the 50 or so vendor tables: lots of photographers, entertainment companies, beauty products, spa services,venues and honeymoon destination hotels, sweet confections, bridal accessories…you name it!

It was a day full of discoveries!

The first thing I discovered was my good friend Rachel, owner/designer at The Desk Set, one of the Bay Area’s premier wedding stationery stores. She showed me the perfect custom-made invitation suite for a couple whose rustic-vintage inspired wedding I am currently organizing – look here:

Isn’t that totally adorable? Rachel is so incredibly gifted and creative, and “the sky is the limit” for her designs (think letterpress on white handmade paper with a gold cut…) BUT  it’s her promise that she will work within any client’s budget! Look her up at thedeskset-sf.com!

Next up was Modern Love Photography whose dreamy, totally romantic photos I LOVED! All their photo packages come with an engagement session (including hair and makeup!), and with a whole day of photo coverage. Your photographer will actually stay on for your whole evening and capture all those precious moments…

Most packages also include a beautiful “coffee table” style photo book, very professional and polished-looking… and then there are all these creative touches: a boudoir session (with all female staff!) resulting in the most gorgeous gift for the groom: a book full of sensual images of his new wife… a personalized guest book containing full-page photos of the couple, complemented by thought-provoking questions for guests to comment on: “where do you see us in ten years?” “what do you think ties us together?” Once this guest book is filled, it will become one of the most personal and cherished keepsakes of that special day, I am sure! (www.modernlovephotography.com)

And then – the total, absolute discovery of the day: French macarons by the Sugarie! You know French macarons – these weightless, melt-in-your-mouth, pastel-colored confections, with the most delicate thin and crunchy crust and a deliciously creamy filling?

Being European, I’ve certainly tasted my share of macarons, and I have to say that hands-down, these here from Sugarie are among the best I’ve had, ever! They make a fabulous center for your candy bar, AND they could be wonderful wedding favors:

Isn’t that too cute? The magician behind these divine confections is Natalie who during the week before the wedding fair alone baked 1,300 macarons! They come in 14 different flavors (imagine: lavender white chocolate, green tea azuki bean, raspberry dark chocolate…) and even in custom flavors of your own choosing! Here I am with Natalie at her booth. Visit www.sugariebakeshop.com and get seduced!

 

And the last pleasant surprise of the day – the hotel itself! Why? The Parc 55 San Francisco offers DOG-FRIENDLY WEDDINGS!!! Yes, you heard it – you can bring your beloved four-legged companion to your wedding ceremony in the hotel and to your reception! Your darling is also allowed in the dog-friendly guest rooms. The only requirement – easy to organize – is that your dog is leashed and under the care of his/her own handler (preferably professional dog walker) at all times. And with that, you can have an elegant hotel setting for your wedding, just one block away from Union Square, perfect for yourself and for your out-of-town guests, AND have your doggie with you.

The hotel will provide elegant table settings for your wedding dinner, and the grand ballroom on the fourth floor can accommodate up to 300 guests. The huge foyer on the fourth floor can be transformed in an elegant cocktail reception space. Feel free to have it decorated to your heart’s delight!

What else? So many things – just quickly: Tim and Vikki,a cute husband-and-wife team at By Request Entertainment  fulfill all your entertainment wishes from cued ceremony music to reception entertainment to DJ services for your post-dinner dancing, including MC’ing throughout your wedding day. For a local 100-people wedding this comprehensive package starts at as low as $1,500 – and they even have a karaoke setup. Doesn’t that sound fun?! (www.byrequestbayarea.com)

Thinking destination wedding? Yosemite now offers the choice of five hotels inside the park (the Ahwanee) and further out (among others, the dog-friendly Tenaya Lodge) which can be booked up to 18 months in advance – regular bookings are only 12 months in advance – with the best months to have a romantic outdoor ceremony under the towering mountains being April through September (YosemitePark.com/Weddings). Or is a beach wedding more your style? Think of the all-inclusive Sandals Resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, and Turks&Caicos – also fabulous for “just” your honeymoon! (call toll-free 1-800-SANDALS).

Lastly – in spite of all the excitement pervading the exhibition hall, there was a feeling of serene romance, provided by the beautiful live performances of guitarist Julio Reyes! A classically trained musician, Julio has worked as a teacher and performer, and he especially loves playing at weddings. And, believe me, he is so GOOD at it! Listen to his 2010 CD “Heart Strings,” and you’ll know what I mean (www.julioreyesguitarist.com).

“I Do” with your Doggie

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So you are getting married – congratulations!

Your happiness is complete, and so is your family: you and your soon-to-be spouse, and your dog, of course! Your faithful companion of so many years, who shared your ups and downs and never let you down in his undying love and devotion. Your dog is a family member, like a child. Your dog will share the joy of the most important day in your life – unthinkable to exclude him/her, right?

Right. I agree. I feel the same way. But, unfortunately, not everybody does!

Plan ahead – way ahead!

For starters, if you are planning a ceremony at church or another house of worship, your four-legged companion cannot join you. Same at most indoor ceremony sites (unless you are lucky enough that your friends own a gorgeous mansion and will of course host your Great Day…). Overall, there are very few dog-friendly wedding venues, meaning your selection is limited. Your best bet is an outdoors ceremony and reception, but even public parks often have restrictions. In San Francisco, where I live, the presence of a dog in the ceremony and during the outdoor reception in a park has to be applied for and specially permitted.

Michelle Buzz lowres

An outdoors celebration, of course, restricts you to the fair-weather months in your specific region. Therefore, if you feel your wedding is not complete without your furry friend, as we felt, you need to plan early. And once you have identified a selection of possible venues, bring your dog along for site visits (at hotels and the like) and observe how the staff reacts to your dog. That will tell you a lot! When we first visited our front-runner venue, on a hot day, our dog exploited a split-second of our distraction to jump in their reflecting pool, emerging dripping wet and dirty – a nightmare! Our hostess’ reaction was not a hysterical scream, but a stack of towels… needless to say, we booked this venue!

Be prepared – think like a dog!

Wedding preparation time is stressful for everyone, even for your dog! As you well know, dogs are very sensitive and pick up the tension. Some may even develop psychosomatic reactions of all kinds. Wedding day itself can stress your dog to the limit. Just think of it: nobody has time to properly take care of him/her, the normal routine does not happen, instead there is a trip to some unfamiliar place that under normal circumstances would require extensive exploration including sniffing and marking. For incomprehensible reasons this is not allowed today. The regular caregivers are busy otherwise. Any dog except for the absolutely good-natured ones will try to enforce some attention, be it through barking, pawing, running away, rolling in the mud or any number of other behaviors that his/her humans somehow do not like.

Buzz after finding "water" (a mud hole, actually...) on a hot day

Buzz after finding “water” (a mud hole, actually…) on a hot day

Ceremony and celebration from your dog’s perspective

Once the ceremony is under way, it’s getting even trickier for you doggie: he/she is required to be quiet or even perform ring bearer duties. Once that is over, at the reception, all attention will be showered on the newlyweds and no attention at your dog who might find plenty of opportunity to wreak havoc with tablecloths and long gowns. The concluding festive dinner is, of course, the worst of all: just imagine he SMELLS!! As you will have heard, a dog’s olfactory brain (the part processing the sense of smell) is seven times the size we humans possess. A dog perceives the world through smell. And a banquet from which your doggie is excluded is torture, plain and simple!

Buzz at dinner table

One other thing: what we humans enjoy as music, might not exactly be to your dog’s liking. Dogs can hear much higher frequencies than humans, and ours is especially sensitive to certain famous sopranos. Hearing Maria Callas sing her high notes, our doggie rolls on the ground and covers his ears with his paws. Certain violin tunes, on the other hand, elicit in him the irrepressible urge to sing (aka howl) along… You might want to give this observation some consideration ahead of time!

Enlist help

Now that I have laid out before you a true horror scenario, I’ll have to come up with solutions. The most important step is to enlist help, in your doggie’s best interest, but just as much in your own. Your doggie needs his/her own caregiver throughout the day to ensure as much regular routine as possible.

The Good Life of a Canine Diva

The Good Life of a Canine Diva

Preferably this will be a dog walker your dog is already familiar and comfortable with. This way, your darling can take walks and naps as he/she is used to; there will be someone to keep her hydrated and well-fed, to keep her out of too much sun during an outside ceremony, and so much more! By the way, don’t forget sunscreen for rosy noses – and “doggles” for the fun of it if your dog likes them. They definitely look ultra-cool!

Buzz with his "date," Liz

Buzz with his “date,” Liz

We invited our dog Buzz’s favorite dog walker, Liz, to come to our two-day destination wedding (three hours away) with us as our guest – and she’d take care of Buzz on the day of the wedding, through ceremony and reception, then take him for a walk and a nap, and be back for our dinner on the loggia, where she was seated a little away from the main table with her charge. There, they both feasted on Filet Mignon! And when it was getting late, the two of them quietly retreated to her dog-friendly hotel room for the night, giving the grown-ups time to party. It proved the perfect solution, and Liz loved her mini-vacation. I’d really recommend something like this plan to all dog-lovers on their way to the altar!

And now the fun part!

Since everybody’s dressing up on wedding day, you may think of dressing up your doggie to match. That’s great! There are so many fun outfits to choose from, both for doggie boys and girls, starting with bowties and barrettes and going on to full tuxedoes and tutus. The sky’s the limit! Or perhaps also your dog’s size (what looks adorable and totally cute on a Maltese might look a bit, well, ridiculous on a Great Dane…). And dogs with a thick coat like ours might feel quite uncomfortable in their unfamiliar finery and try their best to shake it off. With Buzz, we didn’t even try. He got an extra bath for a shiny fur and was just his gorgeous self.

Being dog-people, at least some of the friends you’re inviting will be dog-people, too. Don’t forget the doggie favors for the attending dog parents to take home – in our case, these were probably more sought-after than the “people favors!” For the human guests, we gave away home-made limoncello packed in little paper handlebags, and for the doggies the bags looked quite the same – except for lots of little dog stickers! Big success; not one was left over!

 

And afterwards – the Honeymoon!

With dog or without?

This one time, maybe, without – right? But where to leave your furry friend? Lucky you if your parents, siblings or best friends can’t wait to borrow your four-legged partner for however long your honeymoon lasts! Otherwise… another “plan ahead” item to take care of. Find a reputable kennel or dog hotel (e.g. in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is the “wag” hotel, check it out!) or find a dog sitter who’ll stay in your home with Fido. Just make sure this dog sitter will actually be home most of the time and will not leave your dog alone all day! Best of course is a word-of-mouth recommendation; in any case, you could ask your vet. Make sure the dog sitter of your choice is insured and bonded and check his/her references. What actually worked best for us was a dog walker who offered to invite our dog to her home as a single house guest and to take him on her regular walks with other dogs. This way, our dog was rarely if ever alone and returned well exercised and socialized – needless to say, he is still excited to see this dog walker! If you want to go this route, make sure to give it a few trial runs well ahead of time so that your doggie already feels at home with the dog walker BEFORE you leave him/her there for longer. That way you may also take a peek at your darling’s temporary home.

And lastly, make arrangements with your vet. Let him/her know that you are going away, and leave the dates, your contact information and the name of your dog’s caregiver in the office. Also leave a signed statement what to do in case your dog should need treatment, who will make any decisions if you can’t be reached – and preferably also leave your credit card authorization. That way you have the peace of mind that if the unforeseen happens, your doggie will be in good hands, and everything will be done to ensure his/her safety.

And with this, the road map is laid out for you – get excited, get going, and have a day like no other!