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 retirement home. Dorothy “Dottie” told Fideli NBC branch KCEN that she was “nervous” but “excited” leading up to the big day. The emotional and symbolic wedding took place May 13 in the presence of neighbors, friends and family at the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community in Goshen, Ohio. News point of sale Today reported that Mrs. Fideli 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 through with the unique marriage, Ms. Fideli focused on planning the special day and asked Rob Geiger, the property manager of her retirement home, to help.
“I came in here and I said to Rob, I said, ‘Rob, you’re going to marry me,'” Ms Fideli said. “He said, ‘You are what?'”
Her daughter also participated by buying the dress, getting flowers and cooking for the attendees.
“She says, ‘Oh, mom, yes, let’s go do it. I’m going to get your dress, I’ll get you everything,'” Ms Fideli shared Today.
The decorations included a two-tiered white cake with red roses on top, as well as heart-shaped cookies and finger sandwiches shaped like 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 to get married herself from her neighbours, who saw a woman doing something like this on a talk show, WLWT reported.
“I’ve been with myself for 40 years,” said the 77-year-old, adding that while at church, she realized 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”.