CLEVELAND, Ohio — One of the first things you learn about Renee Schmidt is her passion for dogs. In fact she has eight of them.
There's Addy, who is 7. Charlie is 7, too. Ginger is 15. Ian is 13. Isabel, a talented dachshund, is 9. Matthew is 16. Susie is 3. And Ketchup, the baby of the pack, is about 18-months-old.
Schmidt fosters, too, and she's currently providing lots of love to Harley, whose age is unknown, but estimated to be anywhere from 13 to 16.
"I refer to them as my children, which I know is very hit or miss to some people. But they're my kids. We take them on vacation with us. Our whole world revolves around them," Schmidt said.
She has a huge soft spot for senior dogs, adopting those who may be nearing the end of their lives, but still so deserving of a family to call their own.
"They just want love and attention a lot of times. Like our dog, Ginger, had been with the same family for all 14 years of her life. The thought of her finishing her life in a shelter is really sad. So I firmly believe that even though you may not have had them for the majority of their life, the end part with you is going to fully outweigh anything that came before that," she said.
When Schmidt was planning her wedding a few years ago, she couldn't imagine the big day without her family -- and that includes her dogs.
"I had two dogs at the time when I got married, and I joke that our caterer could not have shown up and it would've been fine, but I needed to know how the dogs were taken care of."
It was a lot, but Schmidt made it happen with her dogs' needs in mind. And from her own experience, a new business was born: Doggy I Do!
People who want to include their pets in their wedding -- we will pick them up, bring them to the venue, help get down the aisle, make sure they're looking at the camera for the photos. However you want them to participate in your day. And then, when you are ready to move on with your reception, and the rest of your wedding, we will take them back home, or to the kennel, wherever they need to go," she explained.
A "meet and greet" about a month out, helps Schmidt get to know the pets, their likes, dislikes and personalities. She works with the bride and groom on who they'll be incorporated into the day's festivities. There's also always a plan for what to do if a pet seems stressed, or clearly not enjoying the moment. She ensures all their needs are met on that day.
"For a lot of people, they were like, 'The easiest money I've ever spent on my wedding. I knew they were taken care of. I knew that they were in good hands,'" she said of the feedback.
When she launched the business, her goal was to book 10 events that first year. Instead, Doggy I Do went to 26 weddings.
This year, she's currently at 30 weddings, with next year filling up, too. Added to the business, a team of like-minded, pet-obsessed assistants who help Schmidt meet the demand.
All of them devoted to making a couple's wedding day an "un-fur-gettable" experience.
"They want to include their pets there. You have all your other family, why would you not want to create those memories with your dog as well?" she said.
Doggy I Do is also available for engagement photos, too.
Each team member is pet first aid/CPR certified and fully insured.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous pets story on April 12, 2023.