77-Year-Old Woman In US Marries Herself: “Life Is About Me Now”

Dorothy “Dottie” Fideli also planned her special day.

A 77-year-old woman in the US married herself in an unusual wedding ceremony that took place at a senior living home. Dorothy “Dottie” Fideli told NBC affiliate KCEN that she was “nervous” but “excited” ahead of the big day. The emotional and symbolic wedding took place on May 13 with neighbours, friends and family present at the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community in Goshen, Ohio. News outlet Today reported that Ms Fideli got married in 1965, but they divorced nine years later.

“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not? I’m going to marry myself,” she told the outlet.

After deciding to go ahead with the unique marriage, Ms Fideli focussed on planning the special day, asking Rob Geiger, the property manager of her retirement home, to help. 

“I came in here and I told Rob, I said, ‘Rob, you’re going to marry me’,” said Ms Fideli. “He said, ‘You’re what?'”

Her daughter too pitched in by buying the dress, getting flowers, and cooking for the attendees.

“She goes, ‘Oh, Mom, yeah, let’s go do it. I’ll go get your dress, I’ll get you everything’,” Ms Fideli told Today.

The decorations included a two-tiered white cake with red roses on top, as well as heart-shaped cookies and finger sandwiches in the shape of wedding bells.

“I was nervous, but then I was really happy,” she said, describing her feelings on the day.

Ms Fideli said she got the idea of marrying herself from her neighbours, who saw a woman do something like this on a talk show, WLWT reported.

“I have been with myself for 40 years,” the 77-year-old said, adding that while she was at church she realised she wanted to “do something special” for herself.

She is excited that after spending much of her life taking care of her children and grandchildren, life is “about me now”.