We often joke about marrying ourselves or a close friend if we haven't found a partner by a certain age. While some people do enter into marriages of convenience or companionship, it’s rare for someone to marry themselves. However, Dorothy “Dottie” Fideli decided to challenge this norm.
At 77 years old, Fideli took a moment to reflect on her life and realized that through all her experiences, the one person who had always been there for her was herself. She had been her own greatest supporter and decided it was time to celebrate that self-love by marrying herself.
On a sunny May day, Fideli’s friends and family gathered at the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community, where she resides, to witness this unique ceremony.
“I have been with myself for 40 years,” Fideli told KCEN. “One day in church, I felt a strong urge to do something special for myself.”
Her daughter, Donna Pennington, played a key role in organizing the heartfelt event, complete with a wedding dress and an officiant. Having dedicated much of her life to raising her three children and caring for her grandchildren, Fideli felt it was time to do something meaningful for herself.
This was not Fideli’s first marriage; she had previously been married in 1965. However, that ceremony was a simple courthouse affair where she wore a black dress, and the marriage ended in divorce nine years later. This time, Fideli’s self-marriage is set to be a lasting tribute to her enduring self-love and commitment.