A woman who wanted to make a promise of commitment to herself, decided to make it official by marrying herself. Rita Woodall-Terblanche (63) from Vanderbijlpark says she knows people will probably think she’s crazy, but she doesn’t care.

She has been married twice before. She divorced from her first husband in 1981, saying they married too young and was not meant to be. She married her second husband in 1982, who passed away three years ago. “I loved Alan, but I promised myself I would never marry a man again, so I went ahead and married myself” she told Netwerk24. 

This marriage is not recognised as official by the state, and as such is only symbolic. Rita says that she has been through a lot in her life, and she owed it to herself. Her second husband, Alan, had been retrenched and had health issues, to such an extent that he was bed-ridden. “I took care of him all those years, but each day was an uphill battle.” Now, she wants to put herself first.

Rita made herself a ring with a horse shoe shaped cut-out, filled with yellow diamonds. The horse shoe symbolises good luck.

Her best friend “conducted” the wedding, and seven other friends and family members made up the guest list. To celebrate this new chapter in her life, Rita will take herself on “honeymoon” to relax in a holiday resort in Bela-Bela.

Picture: Facebook/ Vaal Weekblad