Get married this weekend - doggy-style!

They say it's a dog's life, and indeed it must be. For centuries, they've been able to spend their days lounging around, sleeping and eating. and generally living the good life while their masters toil to earn dog food. But now some dogs are getting to partake in the joys of being a human. Like getting married.

Corny as it sounds, (and it is corny,) if you've always wished your dog could get married, and if you live in or anywhere near Chicago, you may be interested to know that on Saturday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can marry off Fido at an event known as I Do, Doggone It!.

Organizers are hoping this will be the largest dog wedding ceremony ever. A representative from Guinness World Records will be on hand to observe the nuptials, in case a record is set. According to Guinness, the largest dog wedding ceremony was 178 dog "couples" in May 2007 in Littleton, Colorado.
The organizers of the wedding have said that they're hoping to see the daughters of President-Elect Obama, who have been promised a puppy. A long shot? Sure. But the Obama's still do live in Chicago, so they're not barking up entirely the wrong tree.

Surprisingly, the cost of marrying your dog isn't as much as you'd think. It costs only $5 to register for this mass canine wedding. Of course, if you wanted to do Fi-Fi right and give her a proper wedding, it would cost considerably more. .At PetHaven.com, for instance, a dog wedding dress could set you back $122.95. Its tuxedos range from $29.95 to $48.95. Perhaps you can rent it for less.

And, of course, if you send the dogs to a kennel for their honeymoon, that's even more. But if you want a no-frills wedding, just $5. The money goes to the Animal Care League in Oak Park, a community in Chicago.

What if your old hound dog is single and has no prospective suitors? For just another $5, bring him along anyway and try to hook him up with hot puppy: Doggie speed dating from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Interested dog owners can fill out an online registration form, which is required, so Guinness can have a record of the union. Think of it as a wedding license.

Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist and author. He and his family have two dogs, an unrelated male and female, but decided that the five hour trip from Cincinnati to Chicago is just too far. Nellie and Hooper will have to remain living in sin.