Woman marries 100-year-old tree in hopes of saving it from being cut down
ABC News
By Andrea Miller
Mar 26, 2018, 3:46 PM ET
http://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-marries-100-year-tree-hopes-saving-cut/story?id=54014598

A 100-year-old ficus tree that stands as a focal point of a local park in Fort Myers, Florida, has a bride.

Karen Cooper, 60, wed the tree during a community event on March 24 at the Snell Family Park as part of a neighborhood effort to save the tree from being cut down.

"When I heard the city was planning to cut it down, I was like, 'I don’t think so,'" Cooper, who has been living in Fort Myers for nearly 40 years, told ABC News. "I'm just having fun with something very serious."
The city approved a request from a developer to have the tree removed, according to a spokesperson from the Fort Myers Public Works Office.

"We lost so many trees in Hurricane Irma and for them to cut one down on purpose is terrible," she added. "And this tree is fabulous."

The tree's 8,000-foot canopy extends into a neighboring lot that's for sale for $1 million.

"The tree is the focal point of a very sweet neighborhood park, and without it, the park would just be a vacant lot," she said. "People get married at this park... but I married the tree."

Cooper said she was inspired by stories of women in Mexico who wed trees to protest deforestation.

"The ceremony was meant to encourage residents of the subdivision to come to city hall on Tuesday to show support for saving the tree," she explained.

As many as 80 people from the neighborhood came out to the ceremony and there was music, flowers, and food, Cooper said.

Cooper was walked down a makeshift aisle to stand in front of the tree by her maid of honor and friend, Ann Cason, and her ring bearer, a dog named Little Bear.

Though there was no actual ring or priest present, the vows were read by the event's disc jockey and the community celebrated with tree-decorated wedding cake.

"We all stood there, made a vow to protect the tree, then cake and mimosas," she said about the ceremony. "It was tree-mondous."

She just married it for the wood.

The gift registry was at Lumber Liquidators.

Is it ironic that a 1st year anniversary is the Paper Anniversary?

I bet they were all amazed when the tree said " I DO " ...

I'm guessing the marriage will be dissolved within a year.

I agree. The wood Anniversary is not for 5 years. That’s a long time to wait for it.

Imagine if the tree had said, "I don't".

That's awesome, one of the best replies ever!

I wonder if this constitutes an example of "fake news."

I mean:

No one with any authority recognized the wedding.
The tree has no ability to give consent.
There is no wedding, there is no marriage, so the headline, the text in the link, as well as the "news" story, is all misleading, false.

Might as well say "I murdered those nachos!" by eating them, then getting ABC news to report on the story.

I wonder which is the worst part for people.
Idiots that read it and think "awww" or "haha."
That ABC is now a click bait news agency, willing to put all sorts of lies, even though puerile and harmless, forward as "news."
Or that there are people who will find meaning in it and repost the story to others? Which is little different than that old joke about the cowboy that walks into a bar with a huge load of crap in his hands and says "look what I almost stepped in!"

cireT,

I considered commenting pretty much the same thing you wrote except it IS news. Its news of how public entities think of marriage. The whole article is stupid. A ploy of a radio station with justification by a national news agency to gain attention. A gimmick.
Marriage is no longer a sanctity. This belittles the commitment and dedication two people make to each other. It distorts the concept of love.

I was at the reception, couldn't see the tree's for the wood!

Teresa Green

this marriage will last! It's rooted in love

then she must inspired by some spiritual things or books. people about this age always conserns many thing and doing some thing unlogically like godess divide......expecially those left wing workers.......and you dude knowing what? somt time the suitable emotional activites can bring healthy pschology to one's health.....just as most men are like to drink.....then drink~~~~~

What if the tree starts bearing..fruit.
At her age.

Breaking news :apparently official :
The happy couple have up rooted and moved to the UK.
They are now living happily in the leafy town of oakhampton with their saplings.
They have asked for privacy and will not log on to the Internet