Pets are important members of the family, and lately more couples are including them in wedding ceremonies.

Gina Sales, an event planner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, got married in February and included her two dogs, Gido and Mochi, in the ceremony and reception at the Hilton.

"Gido and Mochi are both an integral part of our family, so it was only natural to incorporate the both of them into our wedding. We had always known that our special day was going to be shared with our 'boys,' " said Sales.

Sales said that there were no objections to having her dogs take part in the wedding festivities. "Our minister even offered guidance on how Gido and Mochi would be introduced and seated during our wedding ceremony."

The main concern for Sales and her husband, Lando, was their dogs' safety and comfort. The Waikele couple didn't want to impose on family or friends and wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. They turned to the Hawaii Pet Nanny for help.

"Thanks to Hawaii Pet Nanny, our special day with our boys went perfectly without any glitches. We can't thank Iris of Hawaii Pet Nanny enough. She played a very big part in making our day special, because we knew that Gido and Mochi were in good hands," said Sales.

The doggy attire? Sales couldn't find tuxes to match the color scheme, so she opted to dress them in matching bow ties.

Gido and Mochi, 12 months and 4 months old at wedding time, were well-behaved. Naturally, their parents were extremely proud to show them off to all their guests.

"Having our 'boys' around us on our special day actually helped us relax even more," said Sales.

Animal lover Leslie Kawamoto has been with the Advertiser for 19 years, or 133 in dog years. Check out her blog at http://HonoluluAdvertiser.com/Blogs.