>
A 40-year-old Italian woman has married herself in a weddimg ceremony.
“I firmly believe that each of us must first of all love ourselves,” said Laura Mesi, “You can have a fairytale even without the prince.”
The ceremony carries no legal weight though it had bridesmaids and a three-layer wedding cake and 70 guests.
But Ms Mesi is part of a growing trend for self-marriage – dubbed “sologamy” – in countries around the world.
Proponents of such ceremonies say it is about self-love and acceptance, and claiming the social affirmation normally reserved for couples who wed.
Laura says the idea of a solo wedding came to her two years ago, after a 12-year relationship ended.
“My happiness does not depend” on a man, says Laura Mesi, who claims to be the first Italian woman to join a worldwide trend for solo weddings
To plan a solo wedding, Ms Mesi says you need money, support from those around you – and above all a “pinch of madness”
“I told friends and family that if I had not found my soul-mate by my 40th birthday I would marry myself,” she told La Repubblica newspaper.
“If one day I find a man with whom I can plan a future I’ll be happy, but my happiness does not depend on him.”