According to The New York Times, avatars of Tracy and Dave Gagnon from Florida, who met in the metaverse, went to the virtual altar. Parallel a ceremony was also taking place in the physical world.
Tracy and Dave Gagnon met in a cloud; this is why their wedding took place in it. During Labor Day weekend, the couple — or rather their digital avatars — held a ceremony hosted by Virbela, a company that creates virtual environments for work, learning and events.
The avatar of Tracey Gagnon walked down the aisle with the avatar of her close friend. Dave Gagnon's avatar watched as his buddy's avatar slowly walked onto the stage and made a toast. And 7-year-old twin avatars who carried rings and flowers danced at the reception.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, technology is already being used in ceremonies more than ever. Weddings have taken place on Zoom, and some in-person ceremonies now include live streaming for guests who won't be able to be there. Last year, the couple, whose wedding was canceled due to the pandemic, had a ceremony in the popular video game Animal Crossing. However, like the ceremony in the video game, it's important to note that any weddings that take place exclusively in the metaverse are currently illegal.
How the immersive virtual world known as the metaverse will change the traditional wedding is anyone's guess. But the possibilities of an event not being constrained by reality are interesting enough to consider.