For most dog owners, their canines are a completely inseparable part of their lives.
So it’s no wonder that many people are making their dogs an integral part of their wedding ceremonies.
You read that right — in Wisconsin, your dog can participate in, and even officiate, your wedding. This actually applies to all pets, so your pigs, parrots and hamsters can all do their part in uniting their best friends too. Cats are also included, but can you really trust them to care enough to participate?
Here is the legality behind this quirk in the law, and how your good boy or girl can participate in that special day.
Attorney Elizabeth Fields and long-haul trucker Tim McVicker leave their wedding at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Laguna Woods, Calif. Their love for huskies brought them together so it was fitting that they were part of the ceremony. The blended canine family includes six dogs and one puppy. (MCT/Orange County Register, MINDY SCHAUER)
Can my dog ‘officiate’ my wedding in Wisconsin?
In the eight states (and Washington D.C.) where a dog could “officiate” a wedding, it is not exactly in an official capacity. These states allow couples to officiate their own weddings, called self-solemnizing, meaning they are allowed to have no outside officiant at all, or whoever they choose in a ceremonial capacity, human or otherwise.
Unfortunately, dogs cannot be officially ordained or serve as a justice or judge, but because of this law, they can still officiate your wedding in a strictly ceremonial sense.
The eight states that allow self-uniting marriages are: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Some of these states require specific religious affiliations that include self-solemnizing as a custom.
In Wisconsin, a clerk may ask couples to provide their religious affiliation that justifies self-solemnization. Couples that are not a part of any organized religious body can also simply list themselves as secular humanists.
While many owners likely can’t think of a better way to involve their pets in one of the best days of their lives, it may still be a good idea to have another human as a co-officiant alongside your dog — they can’t speak any human language after all. Just some kibble for thought.
What other states allow pets to be officially involved in weddings?
WAGS AND WHISKERS WEDDING: Elsie, the bride, and Henry, the groom, tied the knot with their owners, Melanie Litten, of Newark, ) and Scott Burdette, of Rehoboth, looking on. The annual benefit for Senior Dog Rescue and Hospice was held Saturday at the First Unitarian Church in Wilmington.
Marriage laws vary wildly between states — some require multiple witnesses, whereas others don’t. Allowing pets as witnesses is actually not an uncommon law, with their paw prints providing the official signature in some cases.
29 states allow pets as official witnesses, including: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as Washington D.C.
Be sure to check with your local county clerk to be certain you are following local state and county law.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dogs and other pets can officiate weddings in Wisconsin. Here’s how