By Martin Ruffell
THIS WOMAN decided to marry herself after breaking up with her boyfriend and spent over one-thousand-pounds on the big day which she says is an act of SELF-LOVE.
Life and business coach Meg Taylor Morrison (35) from Atlanta, Georgia USA, had always wanted to get married on Halloween 2020. However, after an amicable breakup in June of 2020, she realized her dream wedding might need to evolve into something different.
Having heard of other people conducting self-marriage ceremonies, Meg decided that she didn’t need anyone else to go ahead with the wedding, believing that it was the perfect opportunity to show herself the love she deserved.
Like most brides-to-be, Meg meticulously planned her special day for months, ordering a custom-made wedding cake, choosing the perfect dress and of course, picking out a glistening diamond ring.
However, Meg admits that she wasn’t always completely comfortable planning a wedding for one and often wondered if her friends and family would view her actions as narcissistic or compensating for not having a husband.
Meg’s mum initially felt concerned that her decision to marry herself might come across as egotistical. However for Meg, the primary reason for marrying herself was to move away from trying to please other people and instead focus on putting herself first.
The ceremony itself was attended by ten of Meg’s closest friends and family in an airbnb in Boulder, Colorado, USA with all guests adhering to strict COVID-19 guidelines.
She walked down the aisle to a version of ‘Here Comes the Bride’ played on kazoos by her flower girls whilst her guests blew bubbles and drank champagne. Meg then read out vows she had written, accepted her own wedding ring, and kissed herself in the mirror.
After the ceremony, each of Meg’s friends and family fed her wedding cake, followed by dancing and ordering Thai food. For Meg, marrying herself has been an overwhelmingly positive experience reminding her to trust her own judgement and put her own health and happiness first on a daily basis.
“I wanted to marry myself as an act of self-love,” Meg said.
“I’d always thought I’d get married on Halloween 2020, but instead I went through a very loving breakup shortly before in June.
“I’d heard about self-marriage ceremonies before and I thought, I don’t need someone else to have this wedding.
“I was excited to plan my wedding but also nervous at first about what people might think.
“Was it selfish to have an entire non-birthday celebration dedicated to just me? Could I get myself a ring? Would people think I was compensating for not being married?
“My mum, who is my biggest supporter, was uncomfortable with it at first. She thought it might be seen as ego-centric and wanted me to be careful of how it came across to others. I told her that if others get triggered by it, it’s okay.
“Part of marrying myself was about going beyond people pleasing or trying to look a certain way. It was about saying yes to my own desires.
“For the wedding day itself, I got my hair done and bought a fancy cake that I’d always wanted, my dress, beautiful Swarovski earrings and my wedding ring. It all cost about one-thousand-pounds overall.
“The dress code for the event was whatever made people feel the most like themselves.
“It was the most wonderful experience. Before the ceremony, I sat down with my officiate Sara who interviewed me about what it meant to me to be marrying myself.
“I then welcomed everyone and handed them bubble wands and tambourines.
“One of my best friends Peter walked me down the aisle while my guests blew bubbles and hummed ‘Here Comes the Bride.’
“I said my vows and couldn’t help but cry throughout them.
“I cut the cake and every person at the wedding fed it to me in whatever way they wanted. We then had an evening of dancing and ordered in some food.
“My friends were so wonderful. They brought me wedding gifts, treated the time as sacred and special and said beautiful words.”
Meg would recommend self-marriage to anyone and says that one of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to be single or recently heartbroken to get married to yourself. For her, it is an outward expression of self-love and a commitment to take care of herself.
“I wear my ring every day and it reminds me to listen to my intuition and make decisions that align with my values,” Megan said.
“It also acts as a reminder that loving myself first is the basis for healthy relationships with others, whether it’s my next romantic partner or my relationships with my family members.
“I’ve heard it said that a wedding is about ritual and having people witness you so they can remind you of your commitment later on.
“I see this as the same thing. Whenever I’m being hard on or doubting myself, I believe my friends who attended will remind me of my vows for next-level self-love.
“I wasn’t trying to compensate for anything, fill a void or heal through this ceremony.
“I would have married myself even if I was still in a relationship.”
