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Dog Weddings on the Rise in China
It was a dream wedding in a lovely place, with beautiful clothing and a tasty wedding cake. This perfect wedding day in front of friends and family is for Bree and Bond -- two golden retrievers.
That's right. The “bride” and “groom” are dogs.
Pet weddings are on the rise in China. This is happening in a fast-aging country where government policies have had little success in getting more humans to marry and have more children.
The popularity of pets and a willingness to spend money on pet weddings are driving the increase. In China, spending on pets in 2023 rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier to $38.41 billion.
Bree’s owner Rye Ling asked, "People have weddings. Why can't dogs have weddings?" Ling asked this after walking his pet down the aisle to exchange vows. The female “bride” promised to always share treats and play with the “groom” Bond.
Dog owners Rye Ling and Gigi Chen pose with newly married golden retrievers Bree and Bond while holding their made-up marriage certificates, in Shanghai, China June 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Nicoco Chan)
The research firm Acuity Knowledge Partners said there were more than 116 million cats and dogs living in China’s cities in 2023. That means about one in eight Chinese people own a cat or a dog. And the majority of pet owners are under 40.
Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen said they are in no hurry to get married themselves. However, that did not stop them from carefully planning their pets’ marriage ceremony for months. They arranged for photographers, created made-up wedding certificates, and ordered a cake with a topper that looked just like Bree and Bond.
Gigi Chen shows pretend wedding certificates for newly married dogs Bree and Bond, in Shanghai, China June 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Nicoco Chan)
Yang Tao owns the Shanghai shop that made the cake. At first, she said she was surprised that people wanted wedding cakes for their dogs.
"I think there will be more and more dog weddings," Yang said. She added that she has already made cakes for several similar ceremonies since launching her shop in 2022.
The wedding cake for the "newlyweds" sits atop a traditional marriage "double happiness" paper cutout, June 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Nicoco Chan)
"We have already received an order for a few months from now ... and that's for a dog wedding."
Ling said he hoped the ceremony would give Bree and Bond a "sense of ritual." Ling, who only wanted one child someday, said he hoped to welcome several puppies soon.
I’m Anna Matteo.
Nicoco Chan reported this story for Reuters. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
wedding – n. a marriage ceremony usually with accompanying festivities
bride – n. a woman just married or about to be married
groom – n. a man just married or about to be married
pet – n. a tame animal kept for pleasure rather than for use
walk down the aisle idiomatic expression to get married
vow – n. a solemn promise or statement
certificate – n. a document that is proof of some fact
ritual – n. the established form for a ceremony
puppy – n. a young domestic dog specifically : one less than a year old
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