china pets marriage: In China, dog and cat weddings soar as govt struggles to encourage human marriages

Pet weddings are gaining popularity in China, where policies to encourage human marriages have seen little success. The trend is fueled by increasing pet ownership and the willingness to spend on furry companions. Bree and Bond, two golden retrievers, recently tied the knot in a picturesque outdoor setting, complete with a white lace gown and a delectable cake. Their owners and canine friends witnessed the ceremony, a report by Reuters stated.

Pet weddings are on the rise in China, where government policies have had little success in encouraging more humans to wed in this fast-ageing society where the population is declining and marriage and birth rates remain low.

“People have weddings. Why can’t dogs have weddings?” Bree’s owner Rye Ling told Reuters after the event, where the dogs exchanged vows to share treats and play together.

Growing Pet Market in China

In 2023, spending on pets in China increased by 3.2% to 279.3 billion yuan ($38.41 billion). There are more than 116 million cats and dogs in urban China, with about one in eight urban Chinese owning a pet, according to Acuity Knowledge Partners.

A Special Ceremony

Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen planned the canine ceremony meticulously, hiring professional photographers, designing wedding booklets, and ordering an 800-yuan custom-made cake. Yang Tao, whose Shanghai-based pet bakery prepared the cake, noted the growing demand for dog wedding cakes. “I think there will be more and more dog weddings,” Yang said, mentioning several similar orders since her bakery’s launch in 2022.Ling hopes the ceremony gave Bree and Bond a “sense of ritual” and looks forward to welcoming puppies soon.