The day National Geographic came to a Shih Tzu wedding.

Here comes the bride

Taboo spent more than a decade exploring customs that are celebrated in one place and unthinkable in another. For its Weird Weddings hour, the cameras followed a nudist group ceremony, a bride abducted in Indonesia, and right in the middle of it all, two tiny Shih Tzus saying “I do” at a full Southern California wedding.

And it was a real wedding. The bride wore a custom ivory gown covered in seed pearls, with a detachable train and a poofy headpiece made by Spoiled Dog Designs. The groom’s brother, a standard poodle, showed up in an ivory collar and a long satin tie. There were two cakes: one for the people, and one for the dogs.

Then came the twist. The bride was expecting, and right after the ceremony she retired to her room and delivered a litter of puppies. Talk about a honeymoon.

Why the world’s most famous documentary brand ended up with tiny Shih Tzus

A film crew can point a camera anywhere. When they wanted to show the world how much people love their dogs, they found tiny Shih Tzus: small enough to wear a wedding gown, sweet enough to sit through a ceremony, and beautiful enough to carry an hour of prime time television.

That is exactly what Holy Shih Tzu has bred for since 1997. Small size, big heart, gorgeous coat, calm and loving temperament. It is the same reason so many breeders trace their best dogs back to this house, and the reason Holy Shih Tzu proudly calls itself a National Geographic featured breeder.

Behind the gown

Spoiled Dog Designs made the bride’s ivory gown and shared the story of that day. Read the designer’s recap of the Shih Tzu wedding.

National Geographic and Taboo are trademarks of their respective owners. Holy Shih Tzu is not affiliated with or endorsed by National Geographic.