His wedding reflected the same playful spirit. The guests arrived as anime avatars, dressed in thematic looks: Cottagecoreof fairy or chic postpocalyptic. Instead of an hour of cocktail, the guests completed an obstacle race designed by Kim. Instead of a DJ, they programmed a synchronized dance party with their favorite hyperpop songs.
“It was chaotic, but perfect. We wanted it to look like a game, not a ceremony,” Kim suggests. Their families supported them, although somewhat bewildered. “My grandmother thought that Roblox It was a new church. But my small cousins were obsessed, “jokes Rivera. He adds that they also organized a lunch in person with the family a month later.
The entire virtual event cost them about 500 dollars, spent mainly on custom avatars and hiring a developer of Roblox to schedule the place and activities. “We had much more freedom than would give us a place in the real world. And without having to clean the disaster later,” Rivera celebrates. Although both couples admitted that, at first, they were afraid to be judged, their communities gave them support. “People think it is weird, until they see how beautiful and personal it is. We did not try to replace traditional weddings. We only wanted one that seemed authentic,” Rivera defends.
The reduction of age restrictions and the lowering of virtual reality lenses have led to children to appropriate metovers. Maybe we should let them remain.
A Wedding Planner or a programmer?
Jessica Hu, 34, a Chicago headquarters, has made a name as “digital celebrant”, specialized in ceremonies through Twitch, Discord and Vrchat. Since launched its virtual wedding services in 2020, it has officiated more than 40 online weddings. “It is easy to consider it a novelty. But these weddings are deeply sacred. I have had couples who exchanged votes using Emojis. I have seen discord bots touch the bridal march. I have seen Twitch chats cry in real time, “Hu declares.
Hu explains that, for many people, these ceremonies are not just an alternative to traditional weddings: they are more accessible, more creative and more authentic. “I have worked with homosexual couples whose families would not attend a physical wedding, or with pairs of countries where sexual freedom is not recognized. In virtual space, they can surround themselves with love under their own conditions.”
For the wedding sector in general, interest in personalized digital ceremonies opens new possibilities. Event organization companies are starting to offer virtual packages. For example, Wedfully specializes in online wedding services, providing professional equipment and support to broadcast coverage ceremonies from multiple interactive angles and functions. Designers create Skins Personalized and virtual fashion. Technological developers elaborate Plugins specific for ceremonies on platforms such as Minecraft or vrchat. Around this demand, an artisanal industry is emerging that fuses code with creativity, user experience with intimacy.
There is also a broader cultural resonance: these weddings are aimed at a generation raised in the fandomnative internet humor and platforms where the line between creator and consumer is diffuse. They do not look for a unique size fairy tale, but a love story written by themselves. So no, the church bells are not going to be silenced soon. But, in the background, something else may be heard: the waves of a personalized orchestral track, the soft beep of the reactions with Emoji or the laughs of the guests in a search after the ceremony.
Article originally published in Wired. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
