Goats during cocktail hour....

I think in theory this sounds cool, but how dressed up will your guests be? Goats aren’t really clean animals so I think if I was dressed for a wedding I’d steer clear if there were goats on the property.

I agree with Sarah. While goats are definitely cute, I wouldn't want to play with goats dressed up for a wedding as they aren't the cleanest animals. I also wouldn't want to smell like goat for the rest of the evening.

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Right! Very good point. They might be able to be sectioned off so guests who don't want to interact won't be remotely near them...

I think this would be such a cute idea! maybe have a sectioned off petting area. I went to a wedding that had an alpaca, and it was such a memorable touch!

That's so cute aha. I do agree with PPs in that it could be kind of dirty in formal or nicer attire but at same time I've seen so many articles where couples have animals at their cocktail hour and it sounds adorable

Given your theme, this has the potential to be cute... like a little petting zoo area. Are you able to have any other animals in addition to goats? I assume since it’s “outdoorsy” that your guests wouldn’t be too dressed up and are also probably used to farm animals. I’m a city girl in Southern California so I don’t know the ins and outs of rural living Lol!!! But there will be areas for washing hands and maybe some hand sanitizer would be nice too.


I actually think goats would be a fun and lighthearted addition to a farm style wedding. You can even make a cute hashtag #TheGOATwedding and have a fun play on the acronym “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest Of All Time) 😆

Goats are so cute! If you have them in their own space I don't see an issue. It's not like you're forcing anyone to pet them!

We hired a beer donkey for our wedding (probably the cheapest thing we got hahaha he was $200 for cocktail hour) and it was BY FAR the biggest hit at our wedding. People loved taking pictures with him & it was fun and interactive without being overwhelming. I know it's not the same thing, but same farm animal idea. My main fear with goats is they aren't as socialized typically as equines are, and they eat EVERYTHING so you'd have to constantly have them in a halter (which is a whole different dilemma depending on the goat) unless the venue was okay with them snacking on plants/flowers/trees/etc.

Our reception was on a farm so there were goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens, etc around for people to interact with! The animals were separate from where food was being served but people could easily go hang out with the animals. People really seemed to enjoy it!

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BEER DONKEY! How awesome. I am looking into pricing right now for goats and fingers crossed it's affordable. It's funny because I think goats are pretty sociable. You're right, they will eat everything so we will have to be careful where they are fenced off. I also need to check with our venue to see if something like this is cool with them. Haha.

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We are from Massachusetts. We cannot use a GOAT hashtag because everyone will think we are referring to Tom Brady. Oye.

View Quoted Comment Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! Yes!!!!

Vermont in May is absolutely gorgeous . I grew up there. (My parents are still trying to convince us to get married in Vermont instead of Colorado where I live now xD) What part of Vermont are you getting married in? Unfortunately the only place with goats that I know is Shelburne Farms, but I'm sure there are some other places around lol. As long as they have the proper handler to make sure everything goes as smoothly as it can, you should be alright.

I went to an AirBNB recently with goats. It was really fun because if they are social (the host family had 6 kids, so they are used to being poked) they are really cute. However, after about 10 minutes of petting them I needed to wash my hands all the way up to my elbows. If you stop paying attention to them for a second they started nibbling at my pants. We were parked there overnight and they climbed all over my car and left really deep scratches. As a wedding guest I wouldn't want my nice outfit (even if it is casual) nibbled on or to smell like goats. Also they will climb on everything including your food table.

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Yes, I'd for sure check with the venue haha!

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Castleton, VT

View Quoted Comment I just came here to say that beer donkey is amazing lol

If I went to a wedding (cocktail hour) with goats, I would absolutely love it. Also knowing me, I would get filthy playing with them. I love goats! So that might be something to think about.

I agree. I absolutely love goats, but I can’t imagine being at a wedding with them if I’m dressed up.

Not goats, but we're also getting beer burros for our cocktail hour. I know they're going to be a huge hit and I cannot wait! I love me some goats, and would be thrilled as a guest to cuddle some goats during a wedding.