An American woman who "married herself" has opened up about her commitment ceremony for the first time.

Nadine Schweigert, 36, from Fargo, North Dakota, tied the knot with herself in a ceremony in front of friends and family and even exchanged rings with her "inner groom", according to Fox News.

During a candid interview with chat show host Anderson Cooper, Schweigert revealed that her marriage choice was all about self-empowerment.

"I feel very empowered, very happy, very joyous. I want to share that with people, and also the people that were in attendance, it's a form of accountability," she said.

The 36-year-old yoga instructor went on to explain that it was also a celebration of how far she had come since her painful divorce and loosing custody of her two children.

"Six years ago I would've handled a problem by going out and drinking," she said. "I smoked, I was 50 pounds overweight. This is just celebrating how far I've come in my life."

Schweigert said that she made the unusual move after she grew tired of waiting for someone to come along and make her happy. She now takes herself out on dates to treat herself and "to invest in this relationship".

She related that she first got the idea from a friend who said: "Why do you need someone to marry you to be happy? Marry yourself."