More pet weddings as population declines

Ever after: Golden retrievers Bond and Bree waiting to eat their wedding cake placed atop a traditional marriage ‘double happiness’ paper cutout as they get married in Shanghai. — Reuters

IT was a dream wedding complete with a picturesque outdoor setting, white lace gown and a delectable cake – the perfect day for golden retrievers Bree and Bond to tie the knot in front of their closest human and canine friends.

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