French woman marries herself in Santorini's first solo wedding

A French woman decided she would marry herself in her dream wedding after her fiancé left her three months before their big day.

In a 24,000 euro ceremony, Laëtitia Nguyen, 38, walked down the aisle alone before exchanging vows with herself on the breathtaking island of Santorini, which was the first solo wedding on Greece's most romantic island and one of the world's most popular destinations for weddings.

The finance manager, from Reims, France had dreamed of her wedding day on Greece’s famous island from when she was a young girl, so when her fiancé proposed to her, they began planning their big day on the Aegean. But three months before they were about to tie the knot he left her without any explanation.

"My fiancé and I were on the exact same page. We wanted to have a child after the wedding and we had a lot of plans. We both wanted an intimate and wonderful wedding. We were both very proud to be marrying each other and we were both very involved in the preparation for the big day," said Laëtitia.

"I am still very hurt and always will be, but life is a gift and I must enjoy it," she added.

Laëtitia’s wedding was the first solo wedding in Santorini, "You can’t erase a day, so I needed to turn it into something very positive. It was exactly like a normal wedding, just without a groom."

There were eight guests including her parents, sister and some close friends. "My ring is an antique cameo ring circa 1900, which I wear on my left middle finger."

Laëtitia has since frozen her eggs in the hope she will one day have children. She said she wanted to go through with the marriage to affirm her own self-worth, saying it gave her a big confidence boost.

"I’m very proud of myself and incredibly grateful to my family and friends. This ceremony gave me back my self-confidence and I reconnected with myself. It was my rebirth."

"No man wanted to marry me, but I wanted to marry me because I’m amazing and I know it. I’m not ashamed."

After the wedding, Laëtitia stayed in Santorini for a couple of weeks.

"My friends and family have been very supportive of me and not very surprised. I always do unconventional things and I don’t give up easily because I try to stay positive throughout it all."

You can visit Laëtitia's blog About L, to find out more.