If your furry friends were a part of your wedding ceremony, or you want them to be, you're a part of a trend that may be more common than you realize.
A new report from pet-sitter platform Rover found that 81% of pet parents who are currently engaged or expect to be soon plan to include their pets on their big day.
"They're really the center of our families and that's been a trend for a long time," Rover trends expert Kate Jaffe said. "But I think it was really strengthened by the pandemic when we locked down so many people, adopted more pets or grew even closer to their current pets. And that makes a lot of sense because we needed that companionship, we needed that connection and that unconditional love."
In Colorado, Jaffe says your pet can actually be an official witness for your wedding. Or, if you want, it can be your officiant.
However, it's not just weddings where people are putting their pet first.
"We partnered with Zillow last year to learn a little more about the housing decisions that pet parents make and the degree to which our pets influence where we live," Jaffe said. "And what we found was that the majority of pet parents will actually choose a more expensive house if it has pet friendly features, like a fenced yard, or proximity to a dog park."
