Getting Married in The Sandbox - Are Metaverse Weddings Weird or a New Trend?

Getting married in the Metaverse isn’t a phrase we thought we would be hearing as couples head to the altar to commit their lives to one another. However, last month, The Sandbox held its first wedding within their platform—but they aren’t the first service to host a virtual wedding. While getting married in the Metaverse may have its advantages (like saving on venue costs and being able to invite relatives and friends who normally wouldn’t be able to attend), is the whole thing just a bit too weird for it to ever catch on? Let’s find out!

Getting Hitched in the Metaverse

This past month, The Sandbox held its first wedding within its metaverse. A Singaporean couple, Clarence Chan and Joanne Tham, celebrated their wedding in a 70s disco-themed event that was hosted in a digital replica of The Alkaff Mansion . For those of you who don’t know, The Alkaff Mansion is a popular venue for weddings and other events but is rarely available during the evenings. Inspired by this, 1-Group teamed up with The Sandbox to create a replica of the mansion that couples can experience on their own time. The design of the virtual space within the Sandbox was handled by Smobler Studios , a creative agency that specializes in metaverse architecture.

Sebastien Borget , The Sandbox’s co-founder, presided over the wedding ceremony. If you’re curious, you can see the wedding in all its blocky and voxel-like glory in the following video:

You can imagine straight off the bat how comment sections from around the world reacted to The Sandbox when they hosted this metaverse wedding…

“I think it’s a great idea! It’s so much cheaper than having a real wedding and you don’t have to worry about the weather.” - Sarah, Metaverse Wedding Optimist

“I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s not like you can have a real dance floor or cake cutting. And can you imagine trying to get your grandparents into a VR headset or navigating a video game?” - John, Professional Metaverse Wedding Crasher

“I think it’s a great idea for people who want to have a small, intimate wedding. But I don’t think it will replace traditional weddings anytime soon.” - Jane, Terrified Traditional Wedding Planner

Is Tying the Knot in the Metaverse the Future?

While the concept of a virtual wedding in a voxel metaverse platform seems odd at first, there are definitely some advantages, the most apparent of them being that you can invite friends and family members that normally wouldn’t be able to attend.

Jessie Tan, the marketing representative of the real-world Alkaff Mansion, said:

We are glad to be able to pave the way for the future of weddings and intimate gatherings, where great memories are forged in a space where we can keep replaying it. The Alkaff Mansion is one of Singapore’s most romantic locations set against luscious greenery. We are very happy that the elegance and beauty of The Alkaff Mansion was wonderfully replicated in The Sandbox by Smobler Studios.

So the idea itself is undeniably novel and a fun way to create virtually any type of wedding you want, but I don’t think metaverse weddings will be replacing traditional ceremonies anytime soon. While a virtual wedding looks enjoyable and fun to experience, it lacks intimacy and the genuine emotions that only an in-person wedding is capable of delivering.

So what do you think? Is getting married in the metaverse something you would consider? Or is it really just super weird? Let us know your thoughts!