Most people would agree that your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life, not to mention probably the most expensive.
But, while most people would associate their wedding day with committing themselves to their life partner, one woman decided to put all her time, money and energy into herself, by treating herself to a lavish wedding where she married herself.
Patricia Christine said she felt pressure of the societal expectation she should get married before turning the milestone age of 30, but having called off her engagement to her ex partner eight years ago, the 28-year-old decided to defy expectations by hosting her very own self-commitment ceremony.
The 28-year-old hosted a self-commitment ceremony ( Image: MDWFeatures / @tricias_take)
She celebrated with nine close friends ( Image: MDWFeatures / @tricias_take)
In May, last year, the teacher, who hails from Sydney in Australia, held the ceremony, surrounded by her closest friends buying herself a wedding ring, flowers, and a floaty, bohemian wedding dress for a total cost of just £50.
During the 30-minute ceremony, Patricia spoke about self-love, and how she hopes other young women will be accepting of themselves, regardless of their relationship status.
“I wanted to defy societal expectations and show women that the most important relationship we have is with ourselves,” she explained.
“We search our whole lives to make a huge declaration to another but we don’t do it for ourselves first.”
Following the ceremony, Patricia and nine of her friends had a casual celebration with a picnic in the park, and the 28-year-old later took to Instagram to share the good news, writing: “I said yes… to myself!”
Despite making the commitment to herself, Patricia is still open to the idea of meeting a partner in the future, as she believes the work she is doing focusing on herself will ultimately make her a better partner too.