Can you legally marry yourself

The official name for it is sologamy—a marriage by a person to oneself. In a very public and traditional ceremony in Brighton, England, her dad gave her away to her herself before she cut the cake and threw the bouquet in the direction of her 10 bridesmaids.

Sologamists are often the subject of ridicule from Internet trolls and judgy monogamists alike: What once was considered brave and rebellious has morphed into something that, to certain traditionalists, seems self-indulgent. And to some extent, I get it. Is it not enough to be happy with who you are, hitched or not, but now you have to publicly marry yourself too? I reached out to love and relationship coach E. Love, 34, who married herself in front of a mirror in Bali earlier this year, because I had questions.

Like, how does sologamy really work? Is it possible to cheat on yourself? If most couples can enjoy the festivities of a wedding, so can you! Preparing for your special day can start with the simple click of a button. You can go online and order self-wedding kits complete with a handcrafted ring, some ceremony instructions, and even your vows!

You can have all the fun of the tradition without worrying about pesky paperwork. You can have your wedding officiated or hosted by anyone you wish — you can even go the DIY route! There are some businesses and professionals that specialise in providing services for your solo celebration. In San Francisco, a record-breaking 7, people wed themselves as part of the largest sologamy ceremony in the world! Sologamy requires just as much dedication as any other relationship.

It means accepting, understanding, and appreciating yourself on a much higher level so you can live up to your vow of loyalty. If it all seems too intimidating, here are some pro-tips to guide you if you ever want to try going solo! Are you marrying yourself out of confidence or to boost your self-esteem?

Are you commemorating a milestone in your life or leaving the past behind? Founders Update: Flash Pack is back, together. After a bad break-up, one woman decided to reaffirm her self-worth by getting married — to herself.

Here she explains how sologamy works in an age of living single. In she married herself in a cultural ceremony, taking vows of self-commitment in front of her family and friends. This month she releases a novel, Reader, I Married Me , which is based loosely on her own experience of sologamy. She talks to Flash Pack about what self-marriage means to her.

In a nutshell, sologamy is the act of marrying yourself. You can tailor the size and format of the ceremony to suit you. I chose a big public affair, with all the traditional elements of a wedding including a wedding dress, ring, celebrant and first dance.

But other people may prefer to perform a small ritual as a private event. Other cultures have coming-of-age ceremonies which act as a gateway to adulthood and independence. In Britain and the States, many people are choosing to marry later in life or not to marry at all which means they have nothing to mark their personal milestones.

A self-wedding offers an opportunity to officially recognise a feeling of personal growth. Well, the idea actually came to me as I was turning 30 and recovering from a bad break-up. I kept comparing myself to the new girl and feeling like a massive failure. Then, one morning, a few months down the line, I woke up and was so relieved to feel my usual sense of optimism returning — hallelujah. I had a great life — I loved my family, friends, home and, most importantly, myself.

Read more: Why a break-up may be the best thing that ever happens to you. Sod that; I decided it was time to rejoice in my wholeness — and what better way to celebrate self love than with a wedding?

It can be, yes. Women get the brunt of the stigma surrounding being single — bachelors are eligible but spinsters are crazy old cat ladies. Today, when a woman has a wedding without a husband, it is an empowering response to a society that tells her she needs a man to live happily ever after. She is choosing life — she is choosing herself.

In our society, men are less able to openly demonstrate emotion and are often hamstrung by their inability to deal with their situation. Three times more men than women commit suicide in Britain every year and men aged years are now more likely to die from suicide than any other cause of death.

In Greek mythology, poor old Narcissus became obsessed with his own reflection in a pool, staring at it until he lost the will to live and died. Narcissism is a fixation with your physical appearance and public perception of you.

In psychoanalytic theory, traits of narcissism include insecurity, difficulty with empathy and inability to sustain satisfying relationships. Read more: Why people who live single are often the least selfish of us all. In contrast, marrying yourself has nothing to do with vanity or seeking adoration.

Sologamy is committing to be responsible for your own happiness and, as a result, becoming more emotionally available to accept and understand others. Developing a sense of self-worth, as opposed to insecurity, allows you greater capacity for human connection.

You can only truly love someone else when you know how to love yourself. Nope, divorce is not an option. The difference between loneliness and solitude is so interesting. Read more: Feeling lonely? Try making better friends. I think the best way to deal with loneliness is to recognise it and treat yourself with kindness.