The wedding of Bree and Bond was a dream come true, set against a picturesque outdoor backdrop, adorned with a white lace gown, and featuring a delicious cake. This was the perfect day for these golden retrievers to exchange vows in the presence of their closest human and canine friends.
Pet weddings are gaining popularity in China, where government efforts to boost human marriage rates in this rapidly aging society have been less than effective. The population is shrinking, and both marriage and birth rates are low. The trend is being fueled by the growing popularity of pets and a willingness to spend more on them. In 2023, spending on pets increased by 3.2 percent to 279.3 billion yuan ($38.41 billion) from the previous year, according to industry data.
"People have weddings. Why can't dogs have weddings?" asked Rye Ling, Bree's owner, after walking his pet down the aisle where she pledged to always share treats and play with her husband Bond. By 2023, there were over 116 million cats and dogs in urban China, according to Acuity Knowledge Partners. This means that roughly one in eight urban Chinese residents owns a cat or a dog, with most owners being under 40.
Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen, who are not in a hurry to marry, spent months meticulously planning the canine ceremony, hiring professional photographers, designing wedding booklets, and ordering a custom-made, 800-yuan cake with toppers resembling Bree and Bond. Yang Tao, whose Shanghai-based pet bakery made the cake, was initially surprised by the demand for dog wedding cakes.
"I think there will be more and more dog weddings," Yang said, noting that she has already catered for several similar events since her bakery opened in 2022. "We have already received an order for a few months from now... and that's for a dog wedding."
Ling hoped the ceremony would give Bree and Bond a "sense of ritual." He, who plans to have only one child, also looks forward to welcoming puppies soon.
