While pets being at weddings is nothing new, the latest involvement of a cat at a Denver wedding is hair raising.
Amanda Terry, 32, a human resources specialist, and Steve, 29, a musician, were married in Georgia, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones. Taking off to Iceland for their honeymoon, they came back to discover their original marriage license. Thus, their wedding was no longer legally recognized.
Now, thanks to a Colorado loophole, their cat Momo was able to stand in as the paw-fect witness for their re-wedding. A ceremony called “Self-Solemnization” requires “neither witnesses nor officiant,” per the City of Denver’s Marriages and Civil Unions page. As confirmed to Axios Denver, though, a pet can use its paw print as an official signature.
For the happy couple, this is making the best of a bad situation. As Amanda told the New York Post, this change made things much better. “Momo is the first cat that we got together, so she’s very special. Having her as our witness made the wedding fun and lighthearted.”
First shared on TikTok, the ceremony went viral quickly and amassed 4.4 million views in just a few days. The second take of their nuptials underscores a big shift here in the US. While things like webcam weddings have been popular in parts of the Dakotas on Native lands, they were predominantly done by people looking to get someone immigration status here in the US or by servicemembers looking to “make an honest woman” of their partner back home.
For now, Momo can take solace in a job well done and for clawing his way to the top of cat TikToks for the day.
