Solo weddings
Who needs a man? You can have your big white wedding, even if you don't have a groom. AFP / Getty Images

Do you dream of having a white wedding, but lack any sign of a husband on the horizon?

Fear not - you can have your wedding cake and eat it ... alone.

A new trend for 'solo weddings' is emerging, as more financially independent women find themselves still single later in life and hankering for the wedding of their dreams

A Japanese company is selling the weddings packages, so wannabe brides in waiting can have their big day without the inconvenience of having to find a groom first.

Travel company Cera Travel in Kyoto, in southern Japan, is the brains behind the innovative service, giving single women a chance to enjoy all the fun of their wedding day, including their wedding night.

I've been in a relationship for years but we've never got round to actually getting married. So I decided to do this for myself and it was amazing fun.
- Nagi Daisen

The two-day package includes dress fittings, bouquet selection, having their bridal hair and make-up done and even choosing a stand-in man to accompany them for a photo shoot.

The service, which was launched in June, is aimed at single, working women who have decided to pursue careers and missed out on marriage and divorced women who want to experience a wedding day with a happier ending.

So far ten women have purchased the package for £1,700, a fraction of the cost of a real wedding.

Businesswoman Nagi Daisen, 43, who had a solo wedding, said it was a chance to live out her dreams of her big day.

"I've been in a relationship for years but we've never got round to actually getting married. So I decided to do this for myself and it was amazing fun. I always wanted to wear a wedding dress and to be pampered like this and now I have been. It was great."

A spokesman for the company said: "It is a truly unique experience and one that we are very proud of. All the details are taken care of by wedding professionals and for those who don't want a traditional white wedding dress we offer our Geisha service, which sees the brides going on an historical photo shoot dressed up as Geishas."

While the experience allows the women to borrow a male model for the photo shoot, unfortunately he has to be returned.

The company revealed that most women invited their boyfriends to join them in the honeymoon suite after the 'wedding' was over.

Japan