A different question
• Can our dog carry the rings?
• Can our pet walk down the aisle?
• Can we include our animal in photos?
• Can they wear something special?
• What role has this animal played in your life?
• How has this animal shaped your relationship?
• What would be missing from your story without them?
• How can that relationship be meaningfully acknowledged?
Pawfect Witness™ is not about participation for participation's sake.
It is about acknowledging the relationships that helped shape who we are.
Why Pawfect Witness™ Began
My name is Kit Chan.
I am a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®, co-founder of Vancity Officiant, and creator of Pawfect Witness™.
As a wedding officiant, I spend my days acknowledging relationships.
Over the years, I noticed something remarkable.
Many couples spoke about their animals in the same way they spoke about the most important people in their lives.
Not because the animals attended the wedding.
Not because they appeared in photographs.
But because they had helped shape the relationship itself.
That realization became deeply personal when I reflected on my own marriage.
When Kevin and I got married, our Shiba Inu, Fi Chai, was the only living being who witnessed our marriage.
Looking back, I realized the strength of our relationship had not been shaped by us alone.
The life we built together had also been shaped by him.
Through daily routines.
Through shared responsibility.
Through challenges.
Through countless ordinary moments that quietly became a shared life.
Although Fi Chai has since passed away, his influence on our lives and marriage remains very much present.
In many ways, Pawfect Witness™ exists because of what he taught us about companionship, commitment, and the lasting impact an animal can have on the people who love them.
That realization changed how I understood ceremony.
I stopped seeing animals as guests beside a relationship.
I began seeing them as participants in the story of that relationship.
ANIMALS ARE NOT WEDDING ACCESSORIES
✗ Props
Animals are not decorative additions to a ceremony.
✗ Photo Opportunities
They are not meaningful simply because they appear in pictures.
✗ Entertainment
Their purpose is not to perform for guests.
✓ Family
Many animals are family members.
✓ Companions
They walk beside us through life's most important chapters.
✓ Relationship Witnesses
Some help shape the relationships we are celebrating.
Stories of Acknowledgment
Every Pawfect Witness™ ceremony is different because every relationship is different.
TUNA
PRESENCE
Some family members prefer quiet spaces. Because The Ensora offers a private ceremony setting, Tuna the cat was able to be comfortably included in the couple's wedding day. For animals who are sensitive to unfamiliar environments, privacy can sometimes be one of the most meaningful forms of inclusion.
.
KAM KAM
BELONGING
Because family comes along for the journey. Kam Kam the tortoise accompanies the couple on road trips and adventures. For them, it felt natural that he should also have a place within their wedding story.
MIKA
UNDERSTANDING
Inclusion looks different for every animal. Because Mika is a sensitive Shiba Inu, a relaxed picnic-style elopement created a more comfortable way for her to remain part of the experience without being overwhelmed by unfamiliar surroundings.
.
DOLCE
JOURNEY
A love story that crossed oceans together. When her owner moved from the United Kingdom to Canada, Dolce came too. The wedding celebrated not only a marriage, but also a journey of migration, companionship, and reunion.
.
DODO
TIME
When every moment matters. At nearly nineteen years old, Dodo's presence carried special meaning. The ceremony became an opportunity to acknowledge a companion who had shared almost a lifetime alongside the couple.
.
AMETHYST
REMEMBRANCE
Love does not end with absence. When Amethyst passed away only days before the wedding, a unity plant ritual wrapped with her collar became a meaningful way to acknowledge her continuing presence within the family.
.
TINO & JUNO
LEGACY
Some animals are present even when they cannot attend. A horseshoe and horse mane were incorporated into the ceremony to acknowledge two beloved horses whose influence remained deeply woven into the couple's story, even though they could not physically be there.
Beyond Weddings
Although Pawfect Witness™ began with weddings, weddings were never the destination.
They were simply the place where this idea first found its voice.
At its heart, Pawfect Witness™ is about recognizing the profound bond that can exist between humans and animals.
It is about acknowledging the relationships that help shape our lives.
This is only the beginning of that journey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pawfect Witness™
What is Pawfect Witness™?
Pawfect Witness™ is a relationship-centered ceremony framework created by Kit Chan and Kevin Leung of Vancity Officiant to acknowledge the meaningful role animals play in people's lives, families, and relationships. It is not simply about having a pet attend a wedding. Pawfect Witness™ is about recognizing how an animal has witnessed, supported, or helped shape the relationship being celebrated.
Is Pawfect Witness™ about rings and outfits?
Not necessarily. Pawfect Witness™ is not centred on animals carrying rings, wearing outfits, or appearing in wedding photos. Those moments can be lovely when they feel natural, but they are not the heart of Pawfect Witness™. The heart of Pawfect Witness™ is acknowledging the relationship between humans and animals in a way that feels respectful, meaningful, and true to the animal's role in the couple's life.
Can an animal who has passed away be included?
Yes. An animal who has passed away can be meaningfully included in Pawfect Witness™. Some animals continue to influence the people who love them long after they are gone. They may be acknowledged through ceremony wording, symbolic gestures, keepsakes, a unity ritual, a certificate element, or a meaningful object connected to their life. The purpose is not to replace their physical presence, but to honour the place they still hold in the relationship or family.
Why do you ask for a charitable donation?
Pawfect Witness™ is offered without an additional officiant fee. Instead, Vancity Officiant invites couples to make a donation to an animal charity of their choice. This reflects the spirit behind Pawfect Witness™: when we honour the animals who have shaped our lives, we also create positive ripples for other animals who need care, safety, and belonging.
Is Pawfect Witness™ only for dogs?
No. Pawfect Witness™ is not designed only for dogs. Vancity Officiant has acknowledged dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, tortoises, and animals who could not physically attend. The focus is not the species. The focus is the bond, influence, and role that animal has played in a couple's life or relationship.
Does my pet need to attend?
No. An animal does not need to physically attend the ceremony to be part of Pawfect Witness™. Some animals are present in person, while others are acknowledged through stories, symbolic rituals, keepsakes, unity certificates, ceremony wording, or meaningful objects. Pawfect Witness™ focuses on the relationship being acknowledged, not only physical attendance.
How Can I Include Pawfect Witness™ In My Ceremony?
If you are booking a ceremony with Vancity Officiant, simply select the Pawfect Witness™ option during the online booking process. From there, we will learn more about the animal, the relationship, and the role they have played in your life. Together, we will explore meaningful ways to acknowledge that relationship within the ceremony. Every Pawfect Witness™ element is different because every relationship is different. Some animals attend in person. Others are acknowledged through stories, symbolic objects, ceremony wording, keepsakes, or meaningful rituals.
Why did Pawfect Witness™ begin with weddings?
Pawfect Witness™ began with weddings because weddings are moments where important relationships are publicly acknowledged. For Kit Chan, co-founder of Vancity Officiant and creator of Pawfect Witness™, this realization became deeply personal through her own marriage and the role her Shiba Inu, Fi Chai, played in the life she and Kevin Leung built together. Weddings became the first place where Pawfect Witness™ found its voice. But the deeper purpose of Pawfect Witness™ goes beyond weddings: it is about recognizing the lasting bond between humans and animals, and the way some animals help shape who we become.
A Place for Relationships That Still Matter
Pawfect Witness™ began with weddings, but it was never only about weddings.
If there is an animal who has helped shape your life, this space is for you.
You are welcome to share a memory, a thank you, a hope, a promise, or simply a few words about a relationship that still matters.
There is no right way to write here.
You are welcome to write in any language.
You are welcome to write in the language you shared with them.
You are welcome to write in a language only the two of you would understand.
Sometimes the most meaningful relationships have their own language.
Is there something you would like to say to them today?