Japan "Solo Wedding" Trend: A Wedding Without The Bridegroom

In Japan, a new trend has evolved where young women choose to have "solo weddings," in which they "marry" themselves and opt out of the traditional marriage rituals. The bride plans and arranges everything, but omits the groom from the event. While some women want to commemorate a significant life event, others are driven by the desire to wear a beautiful white gown, as per a report in the South China Morning Post.

Mana Sakura, an adult video star, is believed to have started this trend. Putting the ring on her own finger in her March 2019 wedding, she vowed, "I will respect my own life. In health or in sickness, I will always love myself and make myself happy."

Another woman named Hanaoka spent a total of 250,000 yen (US$1,600) and invited 30 people to a solo wedding ceremony she performed at a restaurant in Tokyo. "Marrying myself does not mean I don't want to marry a man," she said. 

She continued, "I read about solo weddings in a blogger's article and thought I could not do it. But about three years ago, I started doing things that made me happy, like wearing beautiful clothes, enjoying delicious food, and taking baths with flower petals. That is when I began to think about marrying myself."

Notably, married women are also participating in the trend. In 2018, a 47-year-old Yukie also held such a ceremony to "relive the feeling of being a bride".

The trend is gaining popularity as Japanese government data shows that the nation had less than 500,000 weddings- its lowest level of marriages in 90 years. Since fewer people are getting married, the "single economy" has flourished, and solo weddings have become a lucrative new market for the wedding industry. Among the services are photo shoots that the bride might ask her loved ones to be in. Women may also create their solo honeymoon packages.

A planner at a Japanese wedding company said, "Solo weddings are a sign of the changing times. Now, more Japanese women can support themselves without getting married, and they do not want to be constrained by traditional roles."

Many companies are now designing products and services for this wedding trend including solo camping to karaoke.

This has sparked a discussion online and has received a mixed reaction. "Solo weddings seem great. There are many ways to achieve happiness. The most important thing is to love yourself first," said a user.

Another commented, "I don't quite understand. Is it a pledge to take myself seriously from now on? This is just a way to avoid the ridicule of being unmarried, serving as a last line of defence."

"Although there's nothing wrong with it, placing the ring on your own finger seems a bit lonely," said a user.