Largest Dog Wedding: Kane County Cougars Attempt To Break World Record

GENEVA, IL — History could be made in Geneva Oct. 2 as the Kane County Cougars Baseball Foundation and Villa Park-based Robust Promotions are attempting to break the Guinness World Record title for "largest dog wedding ceremony."

Labeled "Diamonds in the Ruff," the Largest Dog Wedding Ceremony aims to help save the lives of rescue dogs and U.S. veterans all while making an official attempt to break a world record, according to the event's website.

Currently, the record for "largest dog wedding ceremony" is held by Jill Kobe, who married 178 pairs of dogs in Littleton, Colorado in 2007.

London-based magician Martin Rees, a five-time Guinness World Record titleholder, will serve as an emcee for the event taking place at Northwestern Medicine Field, 34W002 Cherry Lane in Geneva. Rees will also officiate the vows with an "ordained canine minister," a dog named Reverend Henry Cleotis Farnsworth III.

Organizers hope to raise $100,000 for K9s for Warriors and 12 other service animal organizations and local pet adoption groups. K9s for Warriors, which will receive 50 percent of the registration proceeds, provides trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or military sexual trauma.

"We are a bit quirky and always push the marketing envelope, so hosting a massive dog wedding is a natural for us," Bob Froehlich, Cougars owner and CEO, said in a statement. "One of our biggest areas of focus has always been veterans and active military. In many ways, our organization was made for this event."

It's not the first time the organizations are making this attempt. The groups also tried in 2021, and while the record remains unbroken, they raised money for animal rescue groups in the Chicagoland area that struggled during the pandemic, according to reports from WGN.

"This year we are going big, I mean really big, because we are looking for not just hundreds of couples but thousands of doggy couples to be married at the same time in the ballpark, and we have space for 5,111 doggy couples," Rees said in a promotional video.

Registration costs $25 per dog, and check-in will begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 2. All registration fees will go to participating animal charities, with 50 percent going to K9s for Warriors and the remaining half being split between the other charity groups.

Other participating groups include:

• Greater Chicago Cage Bird Society
• New Start Dog Rescue of Illinois
• Rover Rescue
• Tiny N Tall Rescue
• Underdog Railway Rescue
• Kane County Animal Control
• V.E.T. Service Dogs NFP
• Paws 4 U 4 Ever
• Border Tails Rescue
• Almost Home Foundation
• Players for Pits
• DuPage County Animal Services