A wedding has just taken place in the virtual world of Decentraland (MANA). Already married for 14 years, an American couple wanted to renew their vows in the metaverse by offering non-fungible tokens (NFT) to their 2,000 guests. Despite technical problems, the ceremony was a success.
A virtual wedding took place in Decentraland (MANA)
The metaverse in Decentraland (MANA) just hosted its first wedding. Ryan and Candice Hurley, a couple native to Phoenix in the United States, were once again sworn in through their digital identities in front of witnesses and Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick.
The ceremony took place on Friday, February 4, 2022. Note that the couple was already officially married for 14 years. The wedding held in Decentraland was more like a vow renewal ceremony.
To organize this unusual event, the couple hired the services of Rose Law Group, an American law firm. Jordan Rose, CEO and founder of the group, points out that this is the first wedding on a blockchain-based metaverse. In a similar vein, a California couple got married on the Ethereum blockchain (ETH) in April 2021.
“Not only will this be a first for Decentraland, but it will be the first wedding to take place on any blockchain-based metaverse. Unlike the real world, the metaverse is not limited by physical constraints that work against your perfect wedding,”
Rose Law Group says in the invitation posted on Decentraland’s website.
Of course, one will remember that weddings have already been organized on ancestors of the metaverse, such as Second Life. When this virtual world was fashionable, ceremonies of this kind were common. There were even companies that specialized in organizing these online events. More recently, couples have also been getting married in customized metaverse, but not based on blockchain technology.
A marriage victim of technical problems
The law firm arranged to buy a virtual land in the world of Decentraland on this occasion. Rose Law Group says it has developed a “meta-marriage framework” that includes a “virtual prenuptial agreement.”
This agreement identifies the couple’s virtual identities and digital assets on the blockchain. This prenuptial agreement was written on the blockchain as a non-fungible token (NFT). Each Internet user also received the NFT of the couple’s dog as a gift.
“There is currently no legal framework for marriage in the metaverse, but all it takes is a contract to be legally recognized. We see the future of the metaverse as being truly decentralized and almost entirely on the blockchain, so the future of marriage in the metaverse will not need a real-world registration,”
explains Jordan Rose.
Unfortunately, the ceremony encountered a series of technical problems. Decentraland’s network was obviously overloaded by the number of users connected to the wedding. According to Rose Law Group, the event attracted 2,000 people.
The gifts offered to the bride and groom, in the form of NFT, appeared about 20 minutes late. More embarrassingly, the bride’s avatar was not visible to all attendees in the same way. Eventually, the ceremony concluded on Instagram via a live video of the bride and groom sealing their vows, in the offices of their lawyers.
In recent months, many renowned brands have entered the virtual world of Decentraland. This is especially the case for Samsung. The smartphone market leader has opened a store in the metaverse.
