Destination weddings, metaverse unions now the way to go

THE time has passed when organising a wedding was more of a chore for the family than a celebration of the love between the pair, when the bride’s mother was working in the kitchen, her brother was constantly on the road, and the bride’s relatives were busy choosing outfits,.

The bride’s side used to experience a comparable situation. However, there have been significant changes over time.

Nowadays, hosting a wedding is more akin to hosting a celebration where relatives mingle, have fun and preserve the memories through photos and videos.

This typically takes place for a few days while the family is away from home, where the tasks are delegated and they are free to simply enjoy the time. That is priceless.

Some families take it a step further by holding weddings in the metaverse, a virtual world.

Let’s look at three ways that weddings have evolved over the years:

1. Hosting destination weddings at resorts: People have started embracing the idea of hosting weddings at resorts and holiday destinations.

Vichin Sehgal, the vice-president of Rajasthali Resort and Spa in Jaipur, India, said: “Such weddings are becoming more common in the present day.

“Post-Covid, the concept of having larger-than-life weddings has trickled down towards curating more unforgettable memories with loved ones.

“This provides the opportunity to organise more heartfelt moments for the newlyweds-to-be.

“Weddings are an emotional affair. It is not only about the couples coming together but also their loved ones celebrating and being keen on curating forever memories with them,” he said.

Bindiya Ahuja, who had her wedding at a resort in Gujarat, said a wedding was mostly a one-time gig, and she had wanted her and her family to make the most of every moment instead of tiring themselves with all the arrangements.

2. It’s a series of events: Sehgal said a trend with such weddings were curating unforgettable memories for the family during the celebrations, over a few days.

“Other than making weddings a more intimate, yet grand affair, the trends are towards personalising the experiences spread across days.”

3. Hosting a metaverse wedding: Hosting a virtual wedding in the metaverse – a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment – is also becoming more common.

Last year, Dinesh Kshatriyan had his wedding reception in the metaverse. Similarly, Abhijeet Goel and Dr Sansrati tied the knot last year and became India’s first couple to marry in a 3D metaverse.

Prayag Singh, the co-founder of blockchain-based social media platform Soclly, believes that in future we might see a rise in the number of couples opting for virtual wedding ceremonies, because they could be hosted in the comfort and safety of their homes.

“Additionally, they can be attended by friends and family located in any part of the world.

“However, metaverse weddings may not be able to replace traditional weddings, as they lack the personal touch. As such, the two forms of weddings will likely co-exist.” |