In 2015, Juhi Manwani was volunteering at a Save Our Street Dogs adoption drive when she fell in love. Not with a person, or a gambolling puppy, but with an elderly dog blind from cataracts.

The senior account director at an advertising agency was so enamoured with the pooch that she fostered it, and then adopted it shortly after. In no time, the nine-year-old rescued dog Bebe managed to scamper its way into the hearts and lives of Manwani, 31, and her then-boyfriend Aadit Bimbhet, and is so special to them that it witnessed the pair get married late last year.

Bebe was even mentioned in Bimbhet’s vows. Bebe, Manwani said, had become the “centre of both (their) lives” and made the pair “go from a couple to a family”.

The couple is among several who had their pet play a part in the most important day of their lives. Industry players TODAY spoke to say they have noticed an upward trend in the past couple of years.

Hotel Fort Canning’s assistant manager in public relations and marketing Cecilia Wee said the hotel has received more requests to include pets in weddings over the past two years, and “the frequency of such weddings has increased by about 30 per cent”.

Wedding photographer Kelvin Koh estimated that his studio, Lightedpixels Photography, had 15 to 20 clients in 2015 who involved pets in their wedding, up from half that number in 2010. Kelly Fan, who owns Studiokel Photography, said she shot about seven such weddings last year, up from just one to three “in her earlier years”.

While 80 per cent of the animals are dogs, Koh said he has also seen pet birds at the reception area. Just last week, he shot a wedding that had four beagles in the garden area of the Armenian Church at Hill Street, 
he said.

He attributed the trend to the fact that outdoor shoots have become more popular, which makes it easier for couples to bring their dogs along. For some people, their pets have become “part of (their) own identity” and “an extension of (themselves)”. So it made sense that their pets would be involved, said Koh.

Fan added that wedding couples “viewed pets as part of the family” and “didn’t want to leave them behind” on their big day. Most of the animals she shot are dogs. “Usually they come down the aisle carrying the ring around their neck,” she said.

Heidi Tan, a 28-year-old teacher whose dog Sam, together with her father, helped walk her down the aisle in January this year, agreed. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Your pet is your family and your best friend. (Its involvement) is very meaningful,” she said.

For Lorraine Tan, 32, and Heng Wee Soon, 31, their wedding photoshoot with Tan’s Shih Tzu Samson at Haji Lane in June last year was especially poignant, as Samson, who was nearly 16 years old, died later that year. Tan, an executive director in Goldman Sachs, said she treasured the “good memories” from involving him in the photoshoot.

PREDICTABLE? NO WAY


Fan said many couples now “tend to embrace an element of spontaneity and surprise”, and “seek to do things differently, so that the celebration is a lot more fun”. Including pets in the wedding does just that, she said.

“It can be a challenge for the ceremony because there’s so much spontaneity,” she said. “It may not go the way people envision ... But it’s a good challenge for me because the brand of photography that I do focuses on telling a story and capturing an authentic moment. It is not for the kind of couple who wants everything to happen according to plan!”

Recalling a wedding ceremony she photographed this year, the bride’s dog was supposed to trail the couple down the aisle and stop at the solemniser’s desk. Instead, the poodle jumped onto the desk, over it and into the back hedge. The guests broke into fits of laughter, said Fan.

For Tan and Heng, an aesthetics doctor, Samson’s presence also presented much hilarity. Everyone was fussing over both of them in preparation for the shoot and, when they were finally ready, they realised Samson had presented “his derriere” to the photographer, Joshua Sim.

Spontaneous moments aside, Sim cautioned that the presence of a pet at a wedding photoshoot could be distracting, as having to watch out for a pet could interrupt the couple’s emotional connection.

Science educator Edna Chan, 28, was unfazed by her pets’ unpredictable behaviour, however. The bunny-lover gathered eight rabbits for her indoor wedding photoshoot — four belonged to her, the rest were borrowed from friends. Even though one of the rabbits peed on her gown during the four-hour shoot in February, Chan was sanguine.

Sometimes, the involvement of an animal can be unplanned for. Senior material planning officer Nuratika Md Yassin, 25, who has been a caregiver for the community cats in her Haig Road neighbourhood since 2009, received a surprise visitor at her wedding in November last year.

Gayes, a black community cat, showed up at her wedding tent at the start of preparations on a Wednesday and stayed for five days. Her presence was a pleasant surprise for Nuratika, who managed to get shots with it.

While some guests might feel uncomfortable having animals around, most couples said that did not pose a problem for them.

Heidi Tan said couples should let their guests know in advance that their pet would be present at the wedding ceremony, and to watch out in particular for young children when they are interacting with dogs.

Pointing out that the trend is “heart-warming”, Dr Jaipal Singh Gill, executive director at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said owners need to consider the environment the pets are placed in and to look out for potential signs of stress.

“For example, animals can overheat quickly so be aware of how your pet is coping if spending time outdoors. Animals are individuals and they respond differently to potential stressors such as large crowds or loud sounds. Knowing the personality of our pets can help us decide how best to incorporate them in life’s precious moments,” he added.

Despite the unpredictability, all the couples TODAY spoke to said pet owners should go ahead and let their pets join in their big day.

“Don’t hesitate, just do it. Owners outlive their pets,” said Lorraine Tan. “I am really glad we decided to involve Samson in our wedding, because it wouldn’t be a truly special day without him.”