It was a dream wedding with a picturesque outdoor setting, a white lace dress and a delicious cake. The perfect day for golden retrievers Bree and Bond to tie the knot in front of their closest human and animal friends.

Pet marriages are on the rise in China, although government policies have had little success in encouraging more people to marry. The society is ageing and shrinking, and marriage and birth rates remain low.

The trend is gaining momentum thanks to the popularity of pets and the increasing willingness to spend money on them. Spending on furry friends rose 3.2 percent year-on-year to $38.41 billion in 2023, the data showed.

“People get married, why can’t dogs?” said Bree’s owner Rye Ling after his pet exchanged vows and promised to always share treats and play bond with her husband.

According to research firm Acuity Knowledge Partners, there were more than 116 million cats and dogs in China’s cities by 2023. About one in eight Chinese, evenly distributed across China’s urban population, owns a cat or dog, and most owners are under 40 years old, according to the research firm.

Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen, who said they were in no rush to get married, spent months carefully planning the dog ceremony, organizing professional photographers, designing wedding brochures and ordering a $110 custom cake featuring Bree and Bond figurines.

Yang Tao, whose pet bakery in Shanghai baked the cake, said she was initially surprised that customers wanted wedding cakes for their dogs.

“I think there will be more and more dog weddings,” Yang said, adding that she has hosted several similar ceremonies since opening her bakery in 2022.

“We already have an order for the next few months… for another dog wedding,” she said.

Ling said he hoped the ceremony would give Bree and Bond “a sense of ritual” and hopes to welcome puppies soon, Hina writes.