‘With this ring I me wed...’

A widow from Vanderbijlpark decided, at the age of 63, that she would marry again, only this time her soulmate was someone she knew best – herself.

Rita Woodall-Terblanche tied the knot in a private ceremony last Saturday at the Riverside Sun Hotel conference centre.

Sologamy, defined as a marriage by a person to him or herself, is gaining traction worldwide, but so far Woodall-Terblanche is the first person in Vanderbijlpark – and possibly South Africa – to marry herself, reported Vaal Weekblad.

Seven guests attended the intimate ceremony.

Woodall-Terblanche drove herself to her ceremony in her own car, complete with white and yellow balloons and ribbons. Her bouquet consisted of four yellow sunflowers with a protea in the middle.

Minutes later, Woodall-Terblanche’s personally designed wedding ring fit snugly around her finger. The ring has yellow diamonds and is shaped like a horseshoe.

Woodall-Terblanche’s friend Leonie Gouws led the ceremony.

“We are here today for the marriage of Rita to herself. You will all agree that she looks beautiful today. She is the person with the warmest heart that I have ever met,” Gouws said.

Woodall-Terblanche was then asked to make an oath and a promise to herself.

“I hereby promise that I, Rita Woodall-Terblanche, will love myself, take care of myself, care about myself, respect and, above all else, be true to myself, to the best of my ability. I promise this in the name of the Almighty and all present witnesses.”

After the vows, she put her wedding ring on her finger, prompting loud applause and well wishes from her guests.

Woodall-Terblanche, who was until recently known as Rita Woodall, added her maiden surname, Terblanche.

So, why did she do it?

“No one can love you as much as you love yourself. You can also never trust anyone like you trust yourself,” she explained.

According to her, when her last husband died three years ago, she never thought she would marry again.

She has two children from her first marriage, and was married to her second husband for more than 37 years before he died.

Translated from Afrikaans by Nica Schreuder

I promise I will love myself, take care of myself, care about myself, respect and be true to myself...

Rita Woodall-Terblanche bride