Couple Gets Married in Animal Shelter

Couple Gets Married in Animal Shelter

3 min 15 sec

Couple Gets Married in Animal Shelter: Long-time sweethearts meld their two loves -- each other and homeless cats -- by holding their nuptials at their local Florida animal shelter. Six tuxedo cats, all needing forever homes, served as the bridal party.

NEW YORK -- True love know no bounds, right? And for a Florida couple that means tying the knot at their local animal shelter with six felines listed as the members of the bridal party.

On Sunday, MaryLyn and James Marino wedded in front of more than 60 friends and family at the Sun Coast Animal League in Palm Harbor, Fla.

"We've been married before and we have everything we need and we just thought that if all donations would come to the shelter and benefit the shelter, then it would be a good thing," MaryLyn Marion said of the wedding plans which started with talks about a shower at the shelter then "kept evolving from there."

While some friends and family thought they were "nuts," the couple wanted the celebration of their nuptials to be fun and comfortable for everyone.

This included the animals which are such a big part of their lives.

"My Maid-of-Honor was one of my foster babies, who just got adopted today," she said on Wednesday. "We have had two cats adopted this morning and both cats were in the ceremony -- maybe it was good luck for the shelter, good luck for the cats."

The Marinos, the officiant -- the shelter's director Rick Chaboudy -- and the volunteers which carried in the feline bridal party, all wore the animal league's awareness and fundraising T-shirt: "Change Their Luck, Adopt A Black Cat."

Although 13 reasons are listed on the back of the shirts, it seems love was the only reason needed for changing the status quo at Sun Coast Animal League.

"I was shocked at the attendance," Chaboudy said. "I was excpeting 15 or 20 tops, and when we sent out the invitation, the response we got back from people was that 'this sounds great, a lot of fun, we will be there.'

"When it was all done, we got so many compliments about how much fun it was. And, even people came to us and said 'I know someone who would want to do something like this, would you do it again?' So it was much more of a success than I ever could have imagined."

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With more than $500 donated to the shelter since the wedding was broadcast by local news affiliates, and the phone ringing steadily with requests, Chaboudy might get to put to use his online ordination more than he originally expected, including the vows he wrote for the couple.

With a mix of tradition and a nod to their passion for homeless cats, the couple became officially married with promises such as: "for richer and for poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her and allow her to volunteer and foster cats and kittens for the Sun Coast Animal League and spay and neuter all pets, for as long as you both shall live?"

But with Mrs. Marino walking down the aisle to the tune of "Stray Cat Strut," escorted by a mascot dog, and flanked at the altar with a half dozen tuxedo cats -- while other adoptable cats roamed the adoption room -- tradition was a second thought.

However, the bride did carry a bouquet -- a mix of plastic flowers, cat toys and poooper scoopers, the groom wore a boutonniere -- made of mini dog biscuits, a tented reception -- playing only animal-theme music, like Tom Jones' "What's New Pussy Cat" and there was a wedding cake -- a no-bake litter box cake.

Fortunately for those who were skeptical of a cake literally served in a litter box and with pooper scoopers, there was a traditional sheet cake offered.

For some, the connection between a couple's love and celebrating it at an animal shelter might be hard to understand. But for Chaboudy, it's simple.

"We are an organization that likes to have fun and since caring for the animals is a very serious job and a serious situation with all the unwanted animals out there, it is stressful and emotional," Chaboudy said. "So when MaryLyn came to me and asked for this to take place, I thought she was joking and then I realized, why not."

Although the couple started their families in previous marriages, the Marinos had also been married to each other but divorced in 2004. Mrs. Marino headed to Florida to be near her grandchildren, while Mr. Marino remained in California, Yet the two remained friends, that is, until they took that leap once more by living together in Florida.

"It's funny people say that if you live together it doesn't matter, but it really does, there is something there that you can't put your finger on, but it does change a relationship," Mrs. Marino said of the significance of marriage. "There is a shift and even though we're old people, I feel the shift.

By the way, Chaboudy says the wedding cost a grand total of $25 with everything being donated. All told, not bad for raising some eyebrows, and a lot of awareness for a little shelter.

Robin Wallace is the editor for Zootoo Pet News and can be reached at rwallace@zootoo.com.