Local News
The furriest members of the family can now get in on the big day.
Couples tying the knot at Boston City Hall can now leave with more than a marriage certificate — their family pet can receive official recognition, too.
Mayor Michelle Wu announced Friday that couples who bring their pet to a City Hall wedding ceremony can request a playful “pet certificate” that officially welcomes the animal into their union.
“Now, any couple who gets married in City Hall can request a pet certificate upon uniting their household,” Wu wrote alongside an Instagram video announcing the program. “This certificate is dedicated to the shared commitment, love, nurture, and proper cuddles our pets bring to our lives.”
“Be sure to bring your pets to make the ceremony paw-fect,” she added.
In the video, Boston Registrar Paul Chong officiates the wedding of a smiling couple before presenting them and their golden retriever, Bono, with the city’s first pet certificate.
“We want to thank Bono, Brian and Mariana for being the first family to receive one of these,” Chong says in the video. “This is Bono’s ‘Paw of Approval.’”
The certificate, titled “Family Companion Status Record,” bears the seal of the “City of Boston Department of Cuddles, Office of Scratches and Pets.”
It declares that Bono has been “recognized as a true Pawstonian” and welcomed as an honored member of the newly united household.
The certificate also commemorates the couple’s commitment “to love, nurture, and properly spoil their cherished companion” in keeping with the traditions of the “Pawstonian” community, before concluding that “Bono gives their paw of approval.”
Dressed for the occasion in a white collar, Bono happily accepted congratulatory paw shakes and pets while his happy parents beamed beside him in nuptial bliss.
Instagram followers expressed support for the new certificate, with one person saying, “I love this and am so sad we missed it when we got married in February,” and another commenter calling it her “dream wedding.”
Couples interested in scheduling a City Hall wedding ceremony and requesting a pet certificate can contact the Boston Registry Division at 617-635-4175 or email [email protected].
Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.
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