News of a Houston-based woman who married herself at a grand ceremony over the weekend made more waves than the Yasmin Eleby, the 40-year-old at the center of the celebration could think of. Eleby, a kindergarten teacher in Houston, had not been in a serious relationship for six years and had previously said that if no suitors come by the time she turns 40, she was going to marry herself, but in self-love, which was exactly what she did.
The ceremony which took place at the Houston Museum of African American Culture on Saturday, was witnessed by family members and close friends. Her mother also gave her away to herself at the wedding ceremony. Eleby who is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., had members of the group among those in attendance.
However, since the news of Eleby’s self-wedding went viral, several reactions have been reported regarding her move to wed herself. Some say she’s a freak, crazy or desperate, while others admire her courage to stage her own wedding ceremony. In an interview, with the root, she explained that several other women have self-wedded themselves in the past, and her action was not the first ever. Read snippets from the interview below:
The Root: I’ve read about a couple of other women who decided to marry themselves. In 2012 there was Nadine Schweigert in North Dakota, and in 2014 Grace Gelder from the United Kingdom did it as well. Were they your inspiration?
Yasmin Eleby: For a few years leading up to my 40th birthday, I’d been joking that if I didn’t have a wedding by 40 that I would just have one myself without a groom. I thought having a wedding ceremony would be a unique way to celebrate my 40th with my family and my friends. And the closer that it got, I realized I had to put up or shut up.
The Root: I’ve been reading the reactions to all the stories on you, and a common comment is, “Where were her friends? They didn’t stop her!” When you told your friends—like, “Hey, guys, I’m going to have a wedding and marry myself!”—what did they say?
YE: Some of them didn’t believe me. They thought I was joking, but once I explained to them what it would be about, they were supportive.
Check out pictures from the ceremony!
Source: MadameNoire/The Root
