Sarah Wilkinson couldn’t find The One, so she decided to take matters into her own hands…
When bride Sarah Wilkinson walked down the aisle on the arm of her proud mum, Barbara, there was no handsome groom waiting at the altar. Instead, resplendent in her ivory, sequinned, full-length wedding dress, Sarah stood alone and read out her vows – as she married herself!
Overseeing the service was Sarah’s best friend, Kath, who acted as celebrant, as well as 40 guests who clapped and cheered the newlywed. Sarah says, “It was a wonderful day, and I didn’t need a man to make me happy. I haven’t ruled out finding Mr Right but, at the moment, I’m having too much fun being married to myself!”
DISILLUSIONED
From a young age, Sarah assumed she’d get married and live in a picture-perfect house with a white picket fence. As a child, she’d parade around at home in her mum’s high heels, pretending to be the bride with a piece of net curtain trailing behind her. Sarah says, “I imagined that twin boys and triplet girls would complete my wedded bliss and that me and my husband would live together happily ever after.”
But years passed and Sarah’s Mr Right didn’t come knocking at her door. Sarah, 42, explains, “I started seeing my first boyfriend when I was 17. By 28, I was in a serious relationship and we talked about getting married one day.” But four years later, Sarah’s relationship ended, and it took a long time for her to get over the split. One by one, her friends and family got married and everyone settled down, except her. Sarah tried internet dating, but with little success. She says, “There were so many fakes and liars. It took a lot of my time and energy and I got disillusioned.”
RADICAL ACTION
After several failed relationships, Sarah, who works in accounts admin, decided to take radical action. She explains, “One day I was out shopping, and I saw a man carrying his wife’s bags. I saw another couple arguing. I’d hit 40 and decided that I didn’t need someone to carry my bags and I could definitely do without arguments. I knew then that being single was no reason to deny myself a ring, so I went straight into a jewellers and chose a beautiful diamond solitaire sparkler.”
No one mentioned the ring for a few weeks, then one day one of Sarah’s friends jokingly asked when the big day was. She says, “It might sound strange, but I decided there and then to get married – to myself.”
Sarah told her friend Kath, who worked as a wedding planner, and she immediately swung into action, helping Sarah organise her big day. She then chose best friends Carina and Kelly to be her bridesmaids. She explains, “They were thrilled and completely supported my decis
