Canine weddings on the rise in China

It was a fairytale wedding, set in a charming outdoor location, with a beautiful white lace gown and a delicious cake.

The perfect day for golden retrievers – Bree and Bond – to exchange vows in front of their closest human and canine companions.

In China, pet weddings are becoming more popular as government efforts to increase human marriages in a society facing aging and declining population rates have not been successful.

The growing love for pets and the willingness to spend on them are the driving forces behind this trend.

In 2023, spending on pets increased by 3.2% to $38.41 billion (279.3 billion yuan) from the previous year, according to industry data.

“People have weddings. Why can’t dogs have weddings?” said Bree’s owner Rye Ling, as he escorted his female pet down the aisle to exchange vows with Bond, promising to always share treats and play together.

As of 2023, there were over 116 million cats and dogs in urban China, as reported by research firm Acuity Knowledge Partners.

Approximately one in eight Chinese people in urban areas own a cat or a dog, with a majority of owners under 40, according to the research firm.

Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen, who are not in a hurry to get married themselves, meticulously planned the canine ceremony for months.

They arranged professional photographers, designed wedding booklets, and ordered a custom-made 800-yuan cake with toppers resembling Bree and Bond.

Yang Tao, who runs a pet bakery in Shanghai, was surprised at first when customers requested wedding cakes for their dogs.

“I believe there will be more dog weddings in the future,” Yang said, noting that she has already catered several similar ceremonies since starting her bakery in 2022.

“We already have an order for a dog wedding in a few months.”

Ling hoped that the ceremony would give Bree and Bond a sense of tradition.

Ling, who only wants one child, also looks forward to welcoming puppies soon.

($1 = 7.2712 Chinese yuan)