When rival businesses entered their sector the owners of Precious Pets Weddings didn’t see it as a threat, they saw it as a business opportunity.

Launched in 2018 and featured on TV’s The One Show, This Morning and Dragons’ Den, their business was among the first in the UK to offer a professional service for people who want their pet dog at their wedding.

Weston Coyney based owners Emma and Adrian Cartlich have now launched a training arm to their business to upskill the likes of dog groomers and professional dog walkers who want to expand into the wedding market.

“We were one of the first in the UK to offer this service,” said Emma. “Now we have other people turning up at weddings calling themselves dog chaperones but without the experience which could potentially damage the reputation of the dog chaperone service.”

Emma, who has a background in training, has created a CPD accredited wedding dog chaperone course which she says is designed to put the welfare of dogs first.

“People are going to be setting themselves up in business anyway but if they have been properly trained and had guidance from one of the first businesses in that field in the UK then it will be better for everyone.”

Emma has already had interest in the course from Australia and the US as well as the UK.

The training is currently being delivered over Zoom but Emma plans to move it onto a learning management system so that people can access it at their own pace.

Emms and Adrian recently invested in new custom crates and have had their chaperone vehicle revamped.

They caught the eye of Theo Paphitis when they appeared on Dragons’ Den and he has invited them to attend his small business event for the fourth year in a row.

Emma and Adrian plan, co-ordinate and take away stress for the happy couple so that their dog can be a big part of their wedding day.

They enable dogs to be ring bearers, meet and greeters, the best man, a bridesmaid or simply to attend for an hour to be part of the photographs.

Emma and Adrian even have a Wedding Wheels dog van and a Mini Cooper decorated with paw print weddingsribbons and bows so that pets can arrive in style.

Every dog chaperone package is bespoke and can include full day pet care if needed.

They work at weddings around the region and are increasingly recommended by wedding venues. They recently worked at their biggest wedding to date, chaperoning six dogs.

Precious Pets Weddings has entered the Small Business of the Year and Skills for the Future categories of the University of Staffordshire Business Awards.