Rover has released its first Pet-Friendly Weddings Report. As wedding season begins, data backed by pet parents across the U.S. shows that couples are looking to incorporate their pets into their special day. Whether it’s walking down the aisle, appearing in wedding photos or being featured in decor, pets are front and center at many celebrations of love.
According to the report, 81% of pet parents who are currently engaged, or expecting to be soon, plan to include their pet in their wedding or union. However only 44% (nearly an even split with 45% dogs and 43% of cats) of already married pet parents have actually done so.
Related: Rover Releases True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report for 2023
“Whether you’d like your pet to walk down the aisle, join you for photos or share a special toast, including your pet in your celebration of love is the ultimate testament to the unique bonds that exist between people and their pets,” said Kate Jaffe. She’s Rover Trends Expert.
Key Elements of a Pet-Friendly Wedding
Rover’s Pet-Friendly Wedding report includes unique data from 1,000 married or engaged pet parents in the U.S. Key findings from the report include:
- Couples Want Pet-Friendly Venues. 83% of pet parents said they would be more inclined to choose a wedding venue with pet accommodations.
- Sit, Stay, Go. 72% of pet parents would be willing to remove certain guests from their wedding, in favor of including their pet instead.
- Forget the Gifts, Give Me the Dog. One-in-four (26%) of pet parents would go without wedding gifts if it meant they could include their pet in the wedding.
- Pets Are Chowin’ Down: If there were no limits or barriers, 39% of pet parents would include pet-friendly menu options. In fact, 18% of pet parents opted for, or plan to include, a pet-friendly meal option at the reception party.
- In Pets We Trust. Nearly a third (32%) of pet parents want to use their pet as their legal witness.
- Here Comes the Pet. If there were no limits or barriers to including pets in their wedding, 56% of pet parents would walk down the aisle with them. Cats take the lead here with 58% while dogs trail slightly behind at 55%.
- Pets and Kids are Valued Equally. It appears pet parents are just as motivated to include pets in their wedding as they are to include kids. When it comes to pet parents who have already married, 41% said they spent more than $250 for their pet to be there, while 42% of the same group said they spent more than $250 for kids to be there.
