When pet owners dress up their dogs in miniature white dresses and tiny tuxes, some believe the barks that signal 'I do' reveal true puppy love.
当主人们为自己的狗狗精心打扮，给它们穿上迷你白色婚纱和燕尾服时，有些人相信，这时候狗狗的叫声就是在表达象征真爱的那三个字——“我愿意”。
These animal lovers say their pooches can feel real longing1 for other pets, but experts aren't so sure. Most people agree a wedding is just for fun or charity when the groom2 is drooling and the bride's gown needs tailoring for her tail. After all, 'you may now lick the bride' doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
The doggy nuptials3 are gaining attention as Valentine's Day approaches and people find new and unique ways to pamper4 their pets.
'Pet marriage or weddings are for people,' said Dr. Bonnie Beaver5, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Owners host weddings because it makes them feel good, she said, though most get planned for dogs instead of cats. People can't know what dogs are thinking, but studies have shown they do experience emotion, Beaver said.
'Fear is a classic example,' she said. 'But we don't know if they experience it as you or I would.'
'The weddings are for the dogs,' said Adina Slotsky, the owner and CEO of Hollywood Pet Parties. Though birthday parties, dubbed6 'barkdays,' are much more popular, she said.
When owners plan doggy nuptials, they can go all out. There are groomsmen and bridesmaids of every breed, flowers, music and a reception with food both people and pooches can enjoy, ranging from apple slices to baby back ribs7 with spinach8.
All pet weddings move quickly because of short animal attention spans. With all the distractions9, dogs spend lots of time on leashes10.
A simple wedding costs about $300, Slotsky said. But it can easily grow to thousands of dollars if guests are plentiful11, the venue12 is top-notch, the food is extravagant13, a band plays and a florist14 creates centerpieces, she said.
The most lavish15 pet wedding took place in New York in 2012 when Baby Hope Diamond, a fluffy16 white Coton de Tulear, married a poodle named Chilly17 Pasternak as a charity fundraiser.
Everything was donated, and guests spent up to $10,000 for a table of ten.
It was a ceremony for the ages, complete with limos, a $6,000 designer dress, a sushi chef, mixologist to create 'puptails,' florist, orchestra, wedding planner and parking valets. Ellen DeGeneres' pet food company furnished a dog food buffet18.
The event raised $158,187.26 for the Humane19 Society of New York and earned a place in Guinness World Records for the most expensive pet wedding.
One thing pet owners don't have to worry about is divorce. But because animals have unique personalities20 just like people, there is no guarantee two animals will get along, Beaver said.
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