For the Hurleys, an American couple credited with one of the first metaverse weddings, the internet is probably the best invention ever.
Not only did the couple meet through an online dating site, but they also recently decided to renew their marital vows in the metaverse. After 14 years of marriage, done traditionally, this new technology caught the groom’s eye.
But beyond the online venue on Decentraland, a 3D virtual world browser-based platform, the ceremony had the usuals: (NFT) rings, a (meta-) marriage certificate and over 2000 people in virtual attendance.
Alright, maybe not so usual.
However, the ceremony wasn’t without its glitches. Literally. The bride nearly toppled over on the virtual aisle due to “high attendance that overloaded the server”. But the happy couple didn’t let that deter their big day.
This entire shindig might sound absurd at first glance, but why not?
If people can hold weddings over Zoom or Google Meet, isn’t one based within the metaverse a more immersive alternative?
It turns out it’s not that simple.
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Alright, back to today’s essay.
A Closer Look
In this essay, we spoke about what the metaverse is: an interactive and immersive network of virtual experiences.
Since the Hurleys, a handful of other weddings have been held in the metaverse.
This is essentially how it goes:
The couple, officiants and some of the guests are physically gathered in an agreed-upon venue (so far, this has been the organisers’ office) and hooked up to VR headsets. The virtual landscape, built by a Metaverse architect, then welcomes the digital avatars of the participants. Much later, a meta-marriage licence is issued as an NFT, to be stored on the blockchain.
But there’s an important caveat: are these marriages legal?
Short answer: no.
Perhaps recognised on the blockchain, the law is another issue entirely. The Hurleys were already married, making the event more ceremonial than legally binding.
A long way from becoming (if ever) a mainstream method to legalise nuptials, its use for renewing existing vows is intriguing.
But metaverse marriages are for those who have found one another in the first place. Going on a date within the metaverse takes online dating to a whole new interactive level.
For a web3 dating platform like truyou.algo, the goal is to use the technology of blockchain to prevent catfishing by validating each user’s unique verifiable identity. They also take it a step further by allowing the use of tokens to match, discouraging mindless Swipe Rights.
Perhaps all’s fair in love and war.
What are the possibilities?
Honestly, this all sounds unconventional and maybe even downright weird.
But that’s understandable; it’s difficult to imagine a change to traditional methods. Once seen as the red-headed step-child of forming relationships, online dating has since gone mainstream with many recorded successes.
Does love in a web3 world stand a chance?
Whether it’s metaverse marriages or matching individuals based on the NFT community they belong to, one thing’s for sure: the search for love will remain constant in the human experience.
Only its methods will continue to vary.
Nice works you always do🤲🏾✨
Well, I find the “meta-marriage certificate” funny😂