PETS will be overcome by puppy love on Saturday when they take part in a special dog wedding ceremony.

The Olive Branch in East Borough, Wimborne, will play host to a dog show and wedding event from 10am, which will feature the quirky and light-hearted idea. The four-legged friends can take part in the paw-fect event in return for a donation to the British Heart Foundation.

Alison Williams from Ministry of Dog said that the ceremonies will feature a bridal veil and a top hat for the ‘happy couple’ to wear as their vows are read out by a person dressed in a vicar-style dog collar.

From there, they will exchange dog treats before their owner is presented with a marriage certificate.

Alison said: “We’re hoping for a good turn out. I’ve had a few customers make enquiries about it.

“We hope to have a seating area in front of the ceremonies so that people can sit and watch the happy couple. I’ve not heard of it in the UK before, but I have seen that there have been dog wedding ceremonies in America.

“It is for a £5 donation to charity, which includes the costume hire. I just thought that it was a fitting way to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. It’s a bit of fun for a good cause.”

She said that dog wedding ceremonies will be held in between classes which are taking place for the event’s dog show. Her stepdaughter, Juliette, will act as a bridesmaid and will also collect donations from visitors to the event, as well as partner Stuart and dog walkers, Jane and Emily. She said that somebody from The Olive Branch will be dressing as Olive the dog to greet the younger visitors at the event.

Alison was nominated for a Daily Echo Business Mother of the Year accolade in the Dorset Venus Awards last year after launching her own firm when she found a heart murmur. Asked about the chosen cause, Alison said: “I’m a heart patient. It’s something that I have had all my life and it is something that has changed my life. It made me want to change to what I do now, where I get outside and can walk around.

“I think everybody knows somebody who has been affected by a heart problem at some point in their lives.”