A modern FairyTail: The rise of wedding dog chaperones

Welcome back, readers.

This week, we sit down with Ilana Karcinski, co-founder of FairyTail Pet Care, the pioneers of the U.S. wedding pet care industry that's making sure dogs (and some cats) don't miss out on human weddings.

Ilana shared the story behind the business, the challenges of pioneering a whole new market, and what changed after appearing on Shark Tank.

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This week’s interview: Ilana Karcinski, co-founder of FairyTail Pet Care

When Ilana and her best friend Kelly were 13, they spent weekends volunteering at dog shelters. They both loved animals, but neither wanted to be a vet, and neither knew of other dog-focused career paths.

After graduating college together and working side by side at a Hilton in Tampa, they found themselves wondering: what if weddings could be dog-friendly too?

“We also had friends getting married, and saw our clients and realised there was this need missing from the wedding industry,” Ilana told Pet News Brief.

“You love your dog so much and of course want them to be part of your day… but who's taking care of them? For the first time ever, everyone you normally trust with your dog is at your wedding.”

Asking mum or a bridesmaid to clean up dog poop instead of celebrating didn't feel right.

And so, in 2015, FairyTail Pet Care was born.

Their first gig was Kelly’s brother’s wedding. What followed was months of trial and error: figuring out how to structure a dog’s role in a wedding, when to schedule walks, what to do with high-energy labs versus anxious Frenchies.

At first, they even offered in-home pet sitting to pay the bills while people got used to the new idea of ‘wedding pet care’. But slowly, word spread.

Still, those early years were full of doubt. “People are like, ‘Oh, you marry dogs’ or ‘Don’t quit your day job, this is crazy,’” Ilana said.

“Most people freak out now and say, ‘How did I not think of that?’ But 10 years ago, it really wasn’t a thing.”

Many times, the pair wondered whether they were chasing a fantasy. They had to convince not only couples, but entire networks of vendors, that what they offered was both necessary and viable.

“We knew because we saw it first-hand with our friends and clients, but it took years of education with planners, photographers and venues.”

Winning over venues became a make-or-break moment. Surprisingly, it was the luxury venues that proved most supportive and more willing than rustic barns to let couples do whatever they wanted. FairyTail Pet Care was soon because a preferred partner at some of Tampa Bay’s most exclusive spots.

“Some of our first preferred vendors were amazing venues that others struggled to get into. They saw straight away this solved a real problem for couples.”

By 2019, the company had grown enough to drop pet sitting and focus solely on weddings and special events.

But just as momentum built, the pandemic hit. Weddings screeched to a halt, and with them FairyTail Pet Care’s income. Instead of folding, Ilana and Kelly turned to franchising. “We knew franchising was the way,” said Ilana.

The shift was anything but straightforward. Franchising required research, legal structures, and a new way of thinking about their company.

“While the FairyTail brand had national recognition, each new franchisee is basically starting over in a new market where no one knows what wedding pet care is,” she said.

“It’s a slower burn. Weddings book out in advance, so you have to network, saturate the market, and then wait for couples to catch on.”

The hard work paid off when FairyTail Pet Care launched its franchise programme in 2022.

The following year, they appeared on Shark Tank. On Season 15, Ilana and Kelly pitched their business and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran.

“That was amazing. Barbara has so much experience in franchising,” Ilana said. “She even helped us redesign our discovery weekends for new franchisees, adding in a volunteer day at the shelter so we can see how candidates really interact with animals.”

Barbara’s social media team also helps the brand stay ahead of trends online.

But Ilana is quick to admit that the challenges are ongoing. Wedding pet care still doesn’t have a neat category on vendor websites. “We’re under miscellaneous with balloon animals,” she said.

And while more companies have now sprung up offering similar services, educating couples and vendors remains a constant task. “It’s validating to see others starting up - it proves this is real. But it’s still a daily challenge to explain exactly what we do.”

Franchising, too, brings difficulties, including recruiting the right partners. “Finding the right people who are passionate about dogs, who get the mission, and who are ready for the slower growth of this kind of business is hard,” Ilana said.

Each applicant goes through a lengthy vetting process that includes shadowing weddings and spending a day at a shelter.

“Barbara helped us shape that. Without a physical shopfront to show, we had to build an experience that really demonstrates what this business is about.”

The mission has always kept them grounded. FairyTail isn’t just about dogs in weddings, it’s about helping shelter animals too. Their “Yappily Ever After” programme brings adoptable dogs and kittens to cocktail hours, giving them valuable socialisation and often leading to adoptions.

They’ve helped more than 130 animals find homes this way, alongside donating over US$26,000 to rescues. They also run photoshoots for long-stay shelter dogs, helping them put their best paw forward.

“Our mission is to treat your pet like they’re our own, while helping rescues find their homes,” Ilana says.

Nearly 2,000 dogs (and 19 cats) have now been chaperoned down the aisle by FairyTail Pet Care. Each wedding is different, each pet’s timeline carefully crafted. Sometimes the dog just appears for photos; sometimes they walk down the aisle or even join the couple’s grand entrance.

“Our number one goal is always that their pet is safe and happy. Number two is doing exactly what the couple wants. But the couple understands - we’ll always put the dog’s needs first.”

Looking back, Ilana sees their persistence as the key. “People would blatantly roll their eyes at us. But we knew. We saw it first-hand, and we just kept going.” That stubbornness is something she urges other entrepreneurs to cultivate, especially those building a new category.

“If you see a problem and you’re passionate about it, it’s real. You can be the person to solve it. Just keep working every day, because eventually people will come around. We are the proof of that.”

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