“Bow-wow-wow” goes the bridegroom on his honeymoon — but don’t be surprised if he’s not the only animal playing off-leash after the church bells ring.
Travel agents and hotel managers told The Post that lately a growing number of canine-crazed couples are checking into the honeymoon suite with suitcases of lacy nothings, bated breath and their panting darling doggos.
After all, to include Rover, Spot and Asta in the sacred wedding ceremony has become the height of normality. What’s a little trip after?
Dogs are man’s best friend and they go where their masters do. Just ask Angela Beer, who sunk her teeth into a husband at age 45 back in 2018. From the start, she knew that her furbabies — best man, pug-griffon cross Kramer, and bridesmaids Miss Scoutymouse, a bichon-löwchen cross, and mini schnauzer Miss Georgie — would be there for the big “I do.” She also knew that few traditional venues could hold them.
“My dogs are not very well behaved,” said Beers, a world-traveler who runs Pets & Pats Country Club, a five-star doggie daycare outside of Auckland, New Zealand (more recently she’s welcomed Miss Marley and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart II into the family).
To better pamper her precious poochies, Beers selected a wedding venue that doubled as a wild and spacious honeymoon getaway, namely New Zealand’s ultra-exclusive Huka Lodge, which sits on massive grounds and starts at about $2,000 a night for a basic suite. Beers booked the best and biggest standalone cottage on offer for five nights so that her dogs could feel just like they were home. “I specifically chose it because I could bring the dogs,” she said.
Not only did Beers fete her Fidos during the pre-wedding activities — like a long weekend hen’s do with 10 girlfriends and 20 dogs — she even brought them along for the romantic, post-nuptial fun. For instance, there was a helicopter excursion to Mount Ruapehu, an active volcano.
“I had to train my dogs to go into a helicopter and get ‘mutt muffs,’ personalized earphones, so that they weren’t completely freaked out,” she said. “They also had to be avian trained so that they wouldn’t ferret out kiwis and have their own degustation.”
None of this surprises Edward Alava, owner of the Dog Store on E. 61 St., a grooming salon and boutique for Airedales, borzois and Frenchies that don diamond studded collars.
“Dogs are like children,” says Alava, who also runs a canine concierge business and has pampered pubs for Oprah, Beyonce, as well as Simon Cowell’s purse-sized wags Squiddly, Diddly and Freddy. “They have nannies. They have massage therapists. They have everything and go everywhere — including on honeymoons.”
Alava has crafted matching made-to-measure tuxedos for a set of pugs, but he also preps them for the dog-pile after the reception.
“I gave a pair of golden retrievers a lavender massage so they would be nice and comfortable to go on this couple’s honeymoon,” he says. “A good grooming, a bath and a massage means that when the chauffeur picks them up, they’ll be calmer, less stressed and sleep for the entire journey whether it’s by private plane or train.”
“[Dogs] have nannies. They have massage therapists. They have everything and go everywhere — including on honeymoons.”
Edward Alava, owner of the Dog Store
Once you arrive, the best hotels are more than happy to distract your pet so you can get to petting, says Ed Costa, manager at Carneros Resort & Spa, a 28-acre luxury hideaway in Napa.
“On their honeymoons, they come with two dogs,” says Costa of his guests. “They are part of the family. So we have started doing much more, and now we have special amenities for dogs.”
The resort offers all the normal arf-arf accouterments — leashes, balls, treats — and it recently installed a large dog park stocked with agility equipment should you be readying for Westminster. Each “room” is also a free-standing cottage with a fenced back yard.
But not all destinations are fur-ball friendly, says elite travel advisor Jaclyn Sienna India, founder and CEO of firm Sienna Charles.
“When you are flying private, it’s so easy to throw little Bobby on the plane,” she says. “But there are a lot of countries that are a no-go. You can’t bring your pet to Bora Bora or Japan, not without a six month quarantine beforehand. But you can bring your pet to Thailand or Vietnam. Knowing those countries is really important.”
Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Mexico, Israel, Turkey and Panama are a few countries on the wet-snooted jet setter’s social calendar. But legal rigmarole isn’t the only obstacle to consider before consummating. Safety is also of top concern.
“You shouldn’t go to Costa Rica because there are monkeys that will kill your dog,” she says.
Today, most of the big hotel groups are happy to play fetch, yet airlines remain far less accommodating if you deign to fly commercial. For instance, Delta One and La Première and business on Air France no longer allow pets. “You’d have to sit in coach,” says India, noting that Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways also ban bad dogs. “So it’s important to pair the destination with the airline.”
For an ideal lune de meil with your enchanting chien, India recommends splitting up the trip so that your paw-some pal isn’t in the pound for long stretches. For instance, fly from New York to Paris (American Airlines is one carrier that allows pets) and enjoy a few dog days there. Paris is now home to a number of bistros where a portion of tartare can be split between species. From there, fly first class to Istanbul on Turkish and check into the new Peninsula Istanbul; from Istanbul there is a regular flight direct to Saigon. “The journey is half the fun,” says India.
Once the journey is planned, picking the perfect kennel is a cinch, she adds, because hotels that offer refined service to humans are likely to extend that same hospitality to your dog. Just remember to call ahead and have your lap warmers added to the reservation.
Moreover, think about preparing your room the way you would for a baby. Ask, what’s in the room? How can it be made as comfortable as possible for a curious cur? Remember, ask nicely, there’s no need to bitch.
“When my dog goes to Hotel de Russie,” says India of her six-pound Yorkie’s favorite 5-star haunt in Rome, “they know him. The concierge comes out and says, ‘Tokyo, so good to see you!’ Great hotels celebrate your pet, rather than looking at you like, ‘Oh God, the room’s gonna stink.’”
