‘Getting married is an invention’: one woman’s choice to self-marry

When Jennifer Hoes married herself at a ceremony in Haarlem in The Netherlands in 2003, she became a minor tabloid sensation, portrayed by media outlets as, by turns, lonely, self-centered, and a laughing stock. But when viewed from Jennifer’s perspective 10 years later, the act transforms into a powerful expression of individuality, and an invitation for others to set their own path. In Marrying Me, Jennifer reflects on her decision, including how her father’s death when he was 30, influenced her, while arguing that people too often live according to arbitrary societal rules.