For many engaged couples, one of the best parts of wedding planning is figuring out ways to. Some people choose to name specialty cocktails after their dogs or cats, while others print their pictures on custom napkins or place photos of the animals around the room for guests to see. Those with particularly well-behaved furry friends often opt to have their pets take part in the actual ceremony, by walking up the aisle in holding the rings, or even acting as official witnesses.
Yes, that’s right—depending on where you live, your pet can be your legitimate wedding witness in the eyes of the law. In many U.S. states, the government only requires one witness or none at all, meaning there’s room for pets to serve as either a primary or secondary witness. The dog or cat (or, hey, even rabbit or hamster) can actually sign the marriage license themselves—although they might need a helping hand from you or your partner to make it happen via signature or paw print.
for ceremonies, just a signed license by human or animal. And in six more states (California, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and South Dakota), only one witness is needed, so there’s still space for a pet to join in.
This might sound like some new, exciting update to existing marriage laws, but as it turns out, pet witnesses have been allowed for several decades. “[My parents] got married in their living room with their two dogs as witnesses. It’ll be 30 years next week!” wrote one Reddit user in 2019, alongside a sweet photo of the then-newlyweds.
Even celebrities have gotten in on the cute trend. In 2016, the actress Chelsea Peretti and director Jordan Peele got married in California with their beloved pup front-and-center. “Eloped a bit ago. Our only witness was this lil guy,” Peretti wrote in an adorable Instagram post showing their dog sitting next to a bouquet of flowers and a wedding ring.
