A pregnant woman who was stood up at the altar by her soon-to-be husband married a ceremonial knife instead.

Ni Putu Melina, 22, from Bali, ended up marrying a traditional keris dagger as part of a Hindu custom which helps dismiss humiliation from the woman and her family.

The expectant mum was set to marry her partner on January 12, but he stepped down just two days before the wedding after his family changed their mind on letting him move in with the bride and her family.

Although the groom declared his love for her and proposed the idea of running away so he could be with her, Melina's family said he shouldn't make any hasty decisions and decided to go ahead with a symbolic ceremony.

It is believed that the dagger, which represents manhood, can act as a replacement for grooms who cannot attend in cases including death or other exceptional circumstances.

Her family said their daughter needed to go ahead with the wedding to ensure that the baby wouldn't be seen as an illegitimate child when born, reports Coconuts.

But despite the symbolic ceremony, Melina's official documents will state that her child was born by a single mother as she is not legally married, according to the Gianyar Regency Population and Civil Registry.

The wedding has since gone viral on TikTok, with her family stating that it doesn't matter that Melina's devastation was shared far and wide in Indonesia.

Her father Ketut Suwardita commented: "We want this to be a lesson for other girls who are looking for a groom."

It is unknown at this time as to whether Melina is still in a relationship with her baby's father.

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