The bride, groom were smelly pigs

Taipei: The bride was a real smelly porker and she wore pink.

Two Musk hogs were married in a lavish ceremony in Taiwan, with the blessings of a Catholic priest.

The bride and groom - Huang Pu-pu and Shu Fu-ko - wore tailor-made outfits for the nuptials that included wedding cake, portrait photographs, a marriage certificate and were sealed with a kiss.

Keeping these odorous pigs as pets has become all the rage in Taiwan as the country prepares to ring in the new lunar year, which has been dubbed the "Year of the Pig".

This year is considered particularly auspicious since fortunetellers believe it is a "golden pig" year which only comes along every 60 years or so.

Musk hogs get their name from the musk-like smell they give off when they are ready to mate. They also turn pink when they feel threatened and can bite when angry.

They eat anything and can eventually grow to weigh up to 80 kilograms.

Hogs are considered a sign of good luck in traditional Chinese culture and the pigs' wedding on Monday was a particularly happy event - each of the 400 or so guests donated 100 Taiwan dollars ($3.04) to a church-affiliated charity for handicapped children.

It wasn't long, however, before it became a malodrous affair.

"The little pigs are cute in the wedding, but they are a little smelly, which is not so cute at this point," one guest said.