Most expensive dog wedding ever raises big bucks for NY shelter

From left: Jake Pasternak, Chilly, Wendy Diamond, and Hope. (Photo credit: David Handschuh/New York Daily News)

Why would a Coton de Tulear and a Poodle agree to love, honor, and cherish one another in the wedding extravaganza of the century? To raise money for the many animals cared for by the Humane Society of New York, of course.

“They’re committing to raising awareness for homeless animals so that we can stop unwanted pets from being euthanized,” owner and pet lifestyle expert Wendy Diamond said of the bride and groom.

Baby Hope Diamond, a Coton de Tulear, walked down the aisle at New York’s ritzy Jumeirah Essex House Thursday night in a $6,000 couture wedding dress to tunes played by a $15,000 seven-piece orchestra, before cutting a cake made for the event by Hoboken, New Jersey favorite Carlo’s Bakery of TLC’s Cake Boss.

Luckily all of the wedding goods and services, including the top-of-the-line chefs and “lighting guru,” were graciously donated.

Funky tie-dyed Virginia Poodle Chilly Pasternak won the chance to be Baby Hope’s groom after winning votes online.

Under a $5,300 floral chuppah, celebrity wisecracking pup-pet Triumph the Insult Comic Dog officiated the fun-filled ceremony with his own brand of humor.

“Baby Hope, do you take this pooch to love, not spend the night with, and advocate for animal welfare as long as you both shall live? If so, breathe heavily,” said Triumph while reading the canine couple’s vows.

“I am just beyond happy,” Diamond told the New York Daily News. “It was perfect, and these dogs are so sweet. It’s a perfect match.”

Fifty dogs and 250 humans attended the glitzy black-tie affair — including a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records.

“I am happy to announce that this is the most expensive pet wedding in history,” Guinness World Records adjudicator Sara Wilcox announced following the doggy nuptials. The Diamond-Pasternak canine wedding ceremony beat the previous record by thousands of dollars, costing a whopping $158,187.26; a 1996 wedding held for two cats in Thailand had long been the most expensive at $16,241.

Diamond and her dogs are no stranger to setting records; Diamond’s late Maltese, Lucky, who was originally slated to be the bride in the July 12 wedding fundraiser, holds the record for the most photographed dog with celebrities. Lucky posed with celebrities like rapper Snoop Dogg, Kim Kardashian, and billionaire Richard Branson to earn the coveted Guinness title. After battling cancer, Lucky passed away in June.

Sources: NY Daily News, The Huffington Post