A STUDENT has made the ultimate pledge and married herself in a stunt to prove she is more 'town and gown' than wedding gown.

Oxford University student Lulu Jemimah said despite working her socks off to get accepted into university her family have long-asked 'when do you plan to marry?'

The student, from Uganda, turned 32 recently and as pressure mounted for her to settle down she decided to have her own ceremony complete with wedding dress and cake.

The stunt hoped to signify Ms Jemimah's pledge to strive to one day provide her own financial security and is calling for help to commit herself to her university studies.

Oxford Mail:

She said: "Marriage is an expression of love and commitment.

"But for many people back home in Uganda it is still considered the only way to guarantee a woman's financial security.

"These are all things that I want. The only difference is I am more confident about getting them from an Oxford's academic gown than a wedding gown."

Ms Jemimah is a writer who hopes to gain a career in research and academia, but says no university in Uganda offers creative writing for the necessary masters.

Last year the writer was accepted into the two-year masters course at Oxford University.

She said: "I could not believe that they had chosen me. I still can't believe it.

"Despite all this, people ask me what my ‘plan’ is, when I plan to get married, have children and start a family.

"They can’t imagine what keeps me up at night is not the fear of not going down the aisle.

"My father wrote my wedding speech when I turned 16. Every birthday, my mother prays for me and in recent years this included a plea for a good husband. Someone to take care of me.

"I decided to put them at ease."

Ms Jemimah said she held a ceremony on her 32nd birthday to marry 'the one person I am certain will take care of me'. It cost $2.62 for the transport to the venue, was brought a wedding dress, had a friend do her make-up, borrowed jewellery from her sister and her brother made a wedding cake.

Now she is in the process of cementing her financial security by completing her degree but is calling on the community to help crowdfund for her studies.

Oxford Mail:

Initially 279 people helped fund her first year's tuition, now she needs £10,194 for her final year.She set up a crowdfunding page which in one week has already raised £3,693.

She said: "Writing is how I make sense of the world. This is my love and commitment.

"This is a rare opportunity to train with some of the best tutors and students.

"I didn’t want to get greedy with the first crowdfunding and ask for two years of support, but this has been extremely difficult."

To donate gofundme.com/kzysnz-this-is-my-love-story