A fairy tale without a prince: an Italian woman married herself

Laura Mesi's wedding ceremony was traditional: a white dress, a huge wedding cake, bridesmaids. There was only one thing missing — the groom.

Source: BBC

"I firmly believe that each of us should first of all love ourselves," said Laura Mesi, a 40—year-old fitness trainer. "You can live in a fairy tale even without a prince."

This form of marriage is not legally prescribed in Italy, so formally Mesi remains unmarried. The bride has become part of the growing trend of "sologamy" — marital relations without a spouse. Proponents of ceremonies talk about self-love and self-acceptance. They seek the same social approval as traditional couples.

Laura said that the idea to get married came to her two years ago, after the end of a 12-year relationship.

Mesi says she is the first Italian woman to hold such a ceremony. In May 2017, a solo wedding was also organized by a resident of Naples, Nello Ruggiero.

The first reports of weddings for singles appeared in 1993. There is even a travel agency in Japan that offers wedding ceremonies for single women. The Canadian agency Marry Yourself Vancouver explains the growth of solo weddings by the growing number of single people.

Not everyone is positive about this trend. Some call it narcissistic. Under the wedding photos of Mesa, users left not flattering comments at all: "So sad," "You're crazy" and "Something's wrong with you." But the bride tries not to pay attention to someone else's discontent: "No one and nothing will make me stop smiling." At the same time, in an interview with the media, she admits that solo weddings are not suitable for everyone. According to her, to marry yourself, you need a lot of money, the support of others and, above all, a little madness.