New Trends in June Brides: The Marriage Landscape of 'Existing Pet Owners'. 57% of Pet Owners Make 'Pet-Friendliness' a Mandatory Condition for Marriage; Over 40% Desire Pet Participation in Weddings and Honeymoons

Element Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kawasaki, Kanagawa; CEO: Tsutomu Kondo) conducted a survey on 'Attitudes and Reality of Marriage and Pets' targeting 200 dog and cat owners aged 20-49 across Japan, utilizing their pet insurance comparison site, 'Pet Insurance STATION.'

Ahead of June weddings, as views on marriage and lifestyles continue to diversify in 2026, this survey highlights the 'pet-first' conditions that owners—who view their pets as more than family—refuse to compromise on when choosing a partner and starting a new life.

It also visualizes the latest trends, including real-life marriage conflicts among 'existing pet owners' (those who lived with pets before marriage) and the economic impacts and spending behavior linked to starting a new life, such as reviewing pet insurance and investing in housing.

Survey Highlights - 57% prioritize 'pet-friendliness' as a condition for marriage. - 27% are 'existing pet owners' who lived with pets since being single. - Over 41% hope for pet-inclusive wedding ceremonies or honeymoons.

Significance of Pets When asked about the meaning of their pets, 65% of owners responded that they consider their pets equal to or more than family (children, siblings). This significantly outpaced 'friends or partners' (14.58%) and 'pets for healing' (20.42%).

Importance of Pets in Partner Selection When choosing a marriage partner, 25.5% consider whether the partner is pet-friendly 'most important,' and 31.5% consider it 'very important,' totaling 57% who place it as a key condition.

Pet-Related Marriage Conflicts 60% reported no conflicts due to pets when moving in or getting married. However, 40% experienced issues, with 'discovery of pet allergies in a partner or family' (20.83%) being the most common, followed by 'incompatibility between pets and the partner' (19.17%).

Expenses Related to Pets at the Start of New Life For new living arrangements, the top spending items were 'housing purchase, relocation, or renovation' and 'new pet insurance enrollment or plan reviews,' both tied at 36.67%.