26-year-old woman drops out of PhD to chaperone dogs at weddings, earns ₹22,000 a day | Trending

The idea for McBride's business stemmed from a pivotal moment while working as a waitress at a wedding venue. “I was meant to be serving drinks and stuff, but I was gravitating towards the dog,” McBride tells PEOPLE exclusively. She realised the couple were struggling to manage their dog while balancing the events of the wedding and instinctively stepped in to help. This moment sparked the idea to combine her love for animals with event planning.

Before embarking on this entrepreneurial journey, McBride followed the conventional career path and pursued a biology degree. However, she soon found herself “in a bit of a rut,” feeling stressed and unhappy. “My mental health was not great,” McBride admits. After a year in a PhD program, McBride had a moment of clarity and made the brave decision to leave academia behind.

“I was in a bit of a rut of what to do with my life, like a lot of 20-year-olds…I was really stressed,” she recalls. “I’m not happy. What am I doing with my life?” Her supportive family and partner helped her navigate this challenging transition. “They were like, ‘Are you sure?’…but in the end, I suppose they were all like, well, it’s your life. The decision is yours.”

Launching the niche business presented its own challenges. “You have to put yourself out there,” she shares, explaining how attending wedding fairs and using social media helped grow her business. Her very first booking came just two weeks after launching. “They were just delighted their dog could be a part of their day because they didn’t know what they were gonna do,” she says.

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Now, with McBride&Groom booming, McBride is fully booked every weekend through September 2025, averaging three weddings each week. While most of her business is centred in Ireland, she has already received inquiries from Italy and Spain, though she had to turn them down due to scheduling conflicts. “I’m really open to doing weddings outside of Ireland and in the UK as well,” she adds, with plans to expand internationally by 2026.

McBride’s packages start at $268

McBride’s packages start at $268 ( ₹22,000) for the day, with most clients opting for additional services, such as overnight stays, to ensure their pets are well cared for during the celebration. “While they're having that little drink and a party at the wedding, I take the dog back and look after it and have a little sleepover,” McBride shares.

One of her favourite moments is when couples surprise each other with their dog walking down the aisle or serving as the ring bearer. “I think it's just like a comfort blanket for the couples to have their dog there,” McBride explains. She also notes that Labradors and Retrievers are among her favorite dogs to chaperone, due to their friendly and goofy nature.

Despite the challenges, McBride takes it all in stride. “Obviously, I have to be super careful, because we don’t want any jumping up on the bride with muddy paws,” she adds, ensuring the pets are always kept on a leash and close to her.

With her business thriving, McBride is now planning to expand her team and possibly franchise in the future. “The next thing is to get some more people on board to help me,” she reveals.

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For anyone considering taking a leap of faith in their careers, McBride offers this piece of advice: “Be brave and kind of go with your gut, and there is no point staying in something that’s making you unhappy. You only have one life, is what I kept telling myself.”