Valentine's Day will soon be upon us and that means people around the world will be trying to get engaged. If you're one of these lovebirds and are feeling anxious about popping the question, don't worry. If you let these emotions get the best of you, you might end up chickening out and marrying your cat. We're not joking.

In this day of social conflict over who can marry who, you might be surprised at the strange marriage choices people have been making for decades.

People Marrying Themselves

Man & Himself

chinadaily.com.cn

In 2007, Liu Ye of China decided it would be better to marry himself than be single. The best part is that he married a foam-board cutout of himself dressed in a lovely red dress. Ye admits to being narcissistic, but said of his nuptials, “There are many reasons for marrying myself, but mainly to express my dissatisfaction with reality.”

Herself & Wife

JenniferHoes.com

Marrying oneself is not just for the guys, though. In 2003, artist Jennifer Hoes married herself in the Netherlands on her 30th birthday. It was a large affair in front of friends and family. Hoes said, “Why not pledge allegiance to yourself in a ceremony, as the basis for completion of your life and relationships?”

Only & Only

Facebook

The same thing happened in October of 2010 when 30-year-old Chen Wei Yih married herself in Taiwan. She decided she was at a good point in her life to marry, and was receiving social pressure to do so, but had found no suitable partner. She solved the problem by marrying herself.

People Marrying Animals

Woman & Snake

RussBowling, Flickr

In 2006, a Hindu woman in India claimed she had fallen in love with a snake and then married the snake in accordance with Hindu marriage rituals. More than 2,000 people participated in a celebratory procession, because they felt a wedding would bring good luck. The snake did not attend, but was represented by a brass likeness of himself.

Woman & Dolphin

After a 15-year courtship, a British woman married Cindy the dolphin in a ceremony in Isreal. She claimed when they met it was love at first sight and calls the male dolphin, “the love of my life.” She sealed the deal with a kiss and the gift of a herring.

Man & Goat

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

In Sudan, you have to be careful who you’re caught being intimate with. There is a law that dictates that if a man is caught sleeping with a woman, he must marry her immediately to save the honor of her family. In 2006, the law was applied to a goat. Charles Tombe was caught having relations with the goat and was forced to marry it, and pay a dowry to its owner, as a form of public embarrassment.

Farmer & Dog

Apparently, sometimes marrying an animal can help you with your luck. A farmer in India, who had suffered from some disabilities, believed he had been cursed after stoning two dogs to death in his rice field. Doctors couldn’t help him, but his astrologer told him the only way to lift the curse would be to marry a dog and live with it.

Man & Cat

Cats can also be man’s best friend. So much so that a postal worker in Germany married his cat after a veterinarian told him the feline was terminally ill. No German officials would step in to marry the two, but an actress played the part of the officiant to help the man fulfill his dream.

People Marrying Places

Woman & Tower

YouTube

A former soldier from San Francisco claimed she fell in love with the Eiffel Tower. So, in 2008, she made it official and went so far as to change her name to Erika La Tour Eiffel. She was also once in a long term relationship with a bow and cares deeply for a fence she keeps at home, but her wedded commitment is to the Eiffel Tower.

Woman & Wall

YouTube/Nina Ruecker, Getty Images

Of course, marrying well-known man-made objects is nothing new. In 1979, Eija-Riitta Berliner-Mauer married the Berlin Wall after having fallen in love with it when she saw it on TV as a child. She changed her last name, which now means Berlin Wall. She was horrified when the wall was taken down 10 years later and hasn’t returned.

People Marrying ... ???

Man & Digital Wife

What do you do when you fall in love with a character in a dating video game? You make a permanent and binding commitment to her, obviously. Sal9000 fell in love with the character he met playing “Love Plus” on his NintendoDS and married her in 2009.

Woman & Roller Coaster

milliontalks.com

If you like it, you should put a ring on it, unless it’s a ride at an amusement park because that could be kind of difficult. Amy Wolfe of New York didn't care and she ended up marrying the 1001 Nachts, a ride she’s ridden more than 3,000 times. She’s had relationships with other objects, but she committed to the Nacht as her main squeeze.

Man & Pillow

Metro.co.uk

Perhaps a softer partner would be easier. That’s clearly how Lee Jin-gyu felt when he decided to marry a pillow. The pillow has the face of a popular female anime character on it, so it was apparently quite attractive to the South Korean fellow, who tied the knot with his betrothed in 2010.

Man & Doll

Vimeo

This man thought having a wife who wouldn’t spend all his money, talk back to him or ever leave him was the way to go. That's why Davecat married his blow up doll in 2000. “She provides me with a lot of things that I can’t get out of an organic partner, like… quiet,” he said. Davecat and the doll were featured in TLC’s show ‘My Strange Addiction.’

Woman & Pot

Meanest Indian, Flickr

According to an Indian woman, when your betrothed doesn't show up for the wedding, you do the next best thing and marry a clay pot. That’s exactly what a woman by the name of Salvita did in 2005. Her fiancé Chaman Singh, an officer with the Tibetan Border Police, got stranded on the job. Instead of waiting, her family wanted the ceremony to continued as planned. A picture of the bridegroom was placed on the pot and the wedding commenced.