The Sandbox Gets its First Metaverse Wedding

Remember when Taco Bell hosted a competition that would let the winner get married in the metaverse? The competition was one of the first of its kind, given that it was backed by a major brand and also offered a metaverse wedding, which isn’t something we see every day. 

Well, it seems Taco Bell started some sort of trend as the Sandbox metaverse has officially held its first metaverse wedding, as announced on September 19, 2022. The wedding was held in both the real world and on the metaverse and marks perhaps a new frontier for web3 engagement. 

Details About the Wedding

While Taco Bell promised a wedding on the Decentraland metaverse, this wedding was held in the Sandbox metaverse. The couple who got married were Clarence Chan, the CEO of Bandwagon, and his bride Joanne Tham. Their wedding, which was held on September 17, 2022, was held at “The Alkaff Mansion”  within the metaverse and has the theme of 70s disco glam. 

The real-life version of the mansion is an iconic wedding destination in Singapore and both the couple and their friends were able to enjoy it virtually. The details of the mansion were digitally designed by Smobler Studios, a web3 design agency, and all attendees could use the structure through their metaverse avatars.

The web3 ceremony was officiated by  Sebastien Borget, The Sandbox Co-Founder and COO, and after their avatars were married, they shared their first kiss and then existed. While this is the first wedding that the Sandbox is playing host to, it will not be the last. 

“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. [..] We are very happy that the elegance and beauty of The Alkaff Mansion was wonderfully replicated in The Sandbox by Smobler Studios,” said Jessie Tan, marketing representative of The Alkaff Mansion.

This sort of wedding setup has proven to be innovative not just because it was set in the metaverse but also because of how easily customizable it is. As the press release states, the couple was able to incorporate certain details and practices into their wedding that might not be as easily done in a traditional Asian wedding. 

And as Loretta Chen, the Co-Founder of Smobler Studios explains, the couples who choose to get married in the metaverse are hardly restricted in terms of the themes that they can use. 

“We are exploring merely the tip of the iceberg with this inaugural wedding. We cannot wait to see what other couples decide to create in time to come, be it a fairy tale, gravity defying bohemian, Star Wars inspired or Bridgerton wedding. Even the sky is no longer the limit with the open metaverse,” she says. 

Married in the Metaverse

Could metaverse vows be the next big trend in the wedding industry? The foundation has certainly been set and  if it offers the level of freedom we’ve seen, it could very well be so.