Kennedy News and MediaA woman celebrated her birthday in an unconventional way recently, hosting a ‘wedding’ for herself to celebrate being single.
Michele Plum wanted to find a unique way to celebrate turning 36 earlier this month and, after watching all her friends get married, wanted to show she’s a ‘strong independent woman’.
So, bridal dress in tow, the newly turned 36-year-old told all her guests to don their ‘best sh*t bridesmaid dresses, own wedding dress, cheesy suit’ or ‘whatever’ for her celebrations on August 17.
Footage of the night out shows Michele strutting her stuff down the street wearing her pale pink dress, while her ‘bridesmaids’ follow in an array of different coloured dresses.
Michele, a writer from Horsham, West Sussex, said she came up with the idea of effectively marrying herself after the majority of her friends started settling down and having babies.
The 36-year-old, who spent her twenties as a single mum, could think of no better way than to celebrate her most recent birthday than by showing all her family and friends she doesn’t need a partner to be happy, in the hope that she can instil independence into her daughter.
In the invitation to her ‘wedding,’ Michele congratulated herself for ‘making it all this way without marrying anyone,’ adding: ‘Seeing as I have no intentions to do so for real, I want to have a wedding’.
Kennedy News and MediaDescribing her night as ‘the sort of wedding [she’s] always dreamed of,’ Michele made the most of her big day by dancing the night away in bars and grabbing a late night takeaway.
The writer said:
What’s better than to be surrounded by all my friends and family in a huge polyester gown? And I don’t even have to go home and live with a man for the rest of my life.
The message behind this is that I’m independent and strong. I’ve tried to teach my daughter that she doesn’t need a partner if she doesn’t want one. With hard work, enjoying life and having good friends and family, you don’t need to be dependent on someone else.
I’m happy now, but I never say never because you never know who’s going to come into your life.
After running the idea by her friends, Michele decided on her theme and never looked back; a month before the party, she took a few of her mates to a local charity shop where she unearthed a treasure trove of bridal wear.
Kennedy News and MediaUpon dismissing the dresses as ‘not cheesy enough,’ Michele was guided to the back of the St Catherine’s Hospice shop shop where she discovered a ‘Miss Havisham style’ dress which she described as perfect.
Michele continued:
I tore one of the bags open and gasped. That was it – it was the one. It’s very pale pink, has all these sequins on and my friend said I look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid when she gets married at the end.
I’ll be wearing it again at every possible opportunity – I might get it out for Halloween and you never know, if I ever do get married, I might wear it for that.
Describing the confused reactions of relatives, the mother said her family ‘didn’t get it at all and thought [she] was being really weird’. Not one to be deterred from her plans though, Michele persevered and ended up pulling off the wedding of the year.
Kennedy News and MediaWhat better way for someone who only enjoys weddings for the dresses and party afterwards – ‘that’s the bit about marriage I like, not the having to live with somebody for the rest of my life bit’ – to celebrate their independence?
Saying she’s ‘done all the hard parenting stuff’ already, Michele describes her life as ‘brilliant’ and says she has no intention of settling down.
Incredible. You do you, Michele.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).