How could I pass up this little nugget? It’s a news item plucked from msnbc.com concerning a Taiwanese woman who is apparently planning an unusual wedding next month.
Her spouse-to-be?
Herself.
While Chen Wei-yih cannot marry herself legally, she intends to do so symbolically – right down to the wedding dress, the wedding planner, the reception, and a honeymoon for one.
Is this a way to say nay to the traditional timetables of others? Shades of a Sex and the City episode I recall, entitled A Woman’s Right to Choos…
So what do you think?
Is she genuinely trying to make the point that a woman on her own can be happy?
The 30-year old admits that if she had a boyfriend, she wouldn’t be pursuing her solo wedding. So is it an act of self-celebration, a publicity stunt, or a statement on how difficult it is to find a compatible partner in today’s world?
And how striking is this that it’s a Taiwanese woman? Would we give this news item a second glance if it happened in New York?
I think that the news media are starved for anything that might garnish instant attention.
: )
Could be, Amber! But I actually found it interesting. This woman is only 30. She’s willing to spend $5,000 of her money to do this. Now, it’s a great way to drum up some dates, I’ll grant you! But that’s a lot of Match.com and e-Harmony subscriptions for that kind of dough.
If this is a “I’m happy living with me” statement, then Bravo! We tend, still, to look upon unmarried women with pity – “poor girl, she just couldn’t get a man”. Do we view unmarried men the same way? No, not at all. For either sex, there is nothing wrong with remaining single and unattached. It should be a matter of choice for all.
You’re right, Carol. It’s like there’s a hierarchy of pity.
Never married and never had a child? The worst.
Never married but had a child? Next.
Married but divorced and no kids? Next.
Married, divorced, and with kids? These days – run of the mill.
Widowed? A whole other discussion. But there is “honor” in widowhood that doesn’t exist in divorce or singleton status.
And like I said, I don’t get it. And I’m with you. It should be a matter of choice for all.
Um, wasn’t there a Lifetime movie about that? Maybe that’s where she got the idea?
Ha! (I admit to watching lots of Bravo, but I’m not up on Lifetime.) So there was a movie? How did that turn out?
I know a few woman who have done this – maybe not to this extent, but bought themselves a ring, etc. I wonder, though, if it’s really a betrayal to celebrating singlehood by using the symbols of matrimony. Can’t our hands be complete without the band?