British Woman Tired Of The Single Life, Marries Herself

A British woman who was tired of the single life decided to marry herself. Grace Gelder said that when she was 18 years old, she heard the lyrics of a Björk song entitled “Isobel” that has the line “My name’s Isobel, married to myself,” and the lyrics resonated with her.

In an interview with The Guardian, Grace said that she has “been on a journey of personal development” through performance, dance, and meditation in order to increase self-awareness. She has been single for almost six years and has a great relationship with herself.

When she told her family about her plan to marry herself, her parents said, “As long as it makes you happy, Grace, we’re fine with it.” She also got a few comments from her other friends.

“A few did comment, in a light-hearted way, that it was a bit narcissistic. Obviously, if you’ve just announced you’re marrying yourself, it is plainly a statement of self-love, and I was under no illusion how self-indulgent that might appear. But I was completely comfortable with my motivations.”

Grace’s wedding was just like any ordinary wedding, except that she was marrying herself. She proposed to herself on a park bench in London’s Parliament Hill last year. She planned her own wedding, bought a ring and a wedding dress, and even rehearsed her wedding vows.

Grace wed herself last March in a farmhouse with her sister and about 50 of her friends as witnesses. The wedding ceremony ended when Grace planted a kiss on a mirror. Though her parents and other family members could not attend the ceremony for logistical reasons, they sent her supportive texts on her big day.

The wedding celebrant was a close friend of hers who had just finished her training as a celebrant. The wedding was a momentous occasion for both of them, as it was her friend’s first marriage ceremony.

“The day was obviously centered on me, the final event being a mirror for me to kiss, but it also felt like I was sharing something very special with my friends, giving everyone an opportunity to reflect on their own ideas of love and commitment.”

Although the marriage is not legal, Grace Gelder is happy that she is no longer single and she has found herself after years of improving her self-awareness. She also said that even if she is already married to herself, she is open to the possibility of having a wedding with someone else in the future.

“My self-married status – meaningless though it may remain in the eyes of the law – has also given me this great sense of clarity. I seem to sense much more clearly than before if something is worth pursuing or best left alone.”

[Image via Amy Grubb/The Guardian]