‘We’re nearly fully booked for summer 2023’: Unique wedding chaperone service pampers and looks after dogs across Northamptonshire

A unique wedding chaperone service in Northamptonshire that pampers and looks after dogs on a couple’s big day is nearly fully booked for summer next year.

Pamper My Poochie, which was first launched in 2016, offers holistic dog spa treatments, dog sitting, walking, and their wedding service. Founder and owner Jules Guy, 40, has worked with dogs since she was 11 and saw a gap in the market after hearing many people have to miss out on weddings to look after dogs – as well as the pooch missing out on the big day.

Jules said: “We take the stress away from the big day and guests usually can’t believe this job exists – and they then recommend us to friends and family.”

Pamper My Poochie has had a “great response” from Northamptonshire, as Jules says people want dog-friendly wedding venues to welcome in their furry friends. The business is now on the suppliers list of three venues in the county, including Dodmoor House and Crockwell Farm.

“Things have excelled since the end of the last lockdown with weddings being rearranged,” said Jules. “But now we need more chaperones to meet the demand.”

Jules currently has a team of 14 to keep Pamper My Poochie thriving, but is on the lookout for more helping hands.

It was around a year ago that the company’s groomers was launched in Gloucester Avenue, where the spa treatments take place. The service starts with the dog being picked up and taken for a pamper, which includes a deluxe package suitable for their breed, complete with facials, an aromatherapy massage and ‘pawfume’.

An accessory can be chosen to match the wedding colours, or clients can provide their own outfit for their pet to be dressed in. If the morning before the wedding does not work for clients, the pamper can be done ahead of the big day and the dog can be refreshed by the Pamper My Poochie team before the ceremony.

“We are fully equipped for any eventuality on the special day,” said Jules.

The dog is then accompanied by the chaperone to the wedding, where they can be walked down the aisle, be a ring bearer, and have photos. The sitter can even stay overnight to look after the pooch, or they can be booked into overnight accommodation.

The Pamper My Poochie team enjoys getting to know the happy couple ahead of their day, and there have been many memorable moments. One included letting a sausage dog off its lead, only for it to wander under all the guests’ seats to get to the altar – at the owners’ request. Another highlight of Jules’ was travelling to Kent for a festival-inspired wedding, where she looked after the couple’s frenchie in the evening while sitting round a campfire eating s’mores with the guests.

The business owner, from Delapre, said: “Each wedding is different, and the most important thing to us is making people happy and getting positive feedback – which we do.”

Though Jules hopes to expand the business in the future, the current priority is “continuing what they do to the best of their ability”.