The first celebrity wedding in Luvinia Online took place today and I had been invited to participate (as a member of the audience.) This is the first time I’ve ever been called to cover a virtual wedding in an online game, so I’ll hope you’ll bear with me.
Today, March 1st 2012, GM Refresh and GM Mokobonbon were wed in the virtual world of Luvinia Online to celebrate the release of the game’s in-game wedding system and their ceremony was scripted by that same system as we’ve covered here on GameOgre already.
I arrived almost half-an-hour before the ceremony to get a view of the setting and the proceedings and to say the least, knowing the sort of scripting and production that Luvinia Online has put into their wedding ceremony code, I was not disappointed with what I saw.
The Hall of Light: A setting for a very Western marriage ceremony
The Hall of Light, as the basilica-like location that the wedding would take place was called, had been appointed well. Stone floors and walls formed a chapel area, the apex invisible to me, but chandeliers hung in the main gathering area. Along the walls there were stained-glass windows containing abstract designs illuminated from outside with decorated pillars astride them. The red carpet down the center, appropriate for the expected bridal train, the color of wine, split pairs of seats from side to side.
Across the parade route that the wedding party would take, pink ribbons flung in bows on pedestals and hung across the walkway. Topping the pillars appeared a multitude of colorful flowers.
Music played from an unseen band with gay wedding tunes most of them familiar including the ever-present Here Comes the Bride as well as differing remixes and renditions of instrumental pieces commonly played during Western marriage ceremonies: mostly consisting of prominent woodwinds and subdued strings. (Although I’m sure I heard what sounded a great deal like a trumpet.)
Everything in the room dripped with scintillations—glittering motes of particle effects spilled from sparkling Roman-candles along the red carpet, and also from the flowers, and even it seemed the seats.
The expected bride and groom afforded no expense for the extravagance of this celebration. As well, why shouldn’t they? This is, after all, the first official celebrity wedding to take place in Luvinia Online and it is between two of their most beloved GMs.
As we waited for the ceremony to start amidst the porcelain cherubs playing rainbow-notes from harps, the attire of the room changed itself once or twice. As if the hand of a god had reached down and plucked out the current motif and replaced it with another one—in fact, while I watched, the wedding cakes at the far side of the room rezzed in with a splash-zoom effect (with the table appearing and then the layers of the cake tumbling to meet it, cartoon-style.)
The wedding officiate, one Bishop Steelem, wore a costume reminiscent of a Catholic priest and possibly a nod to his title and namesake. White robes, gold fringe, and red stole formed the epaulets of his coat, and the device set on the mitre resting upon his brow.
The Ceremony: The Bride and Groom, Mokobonbon and Refresh
With audience standing on either side of the wine-red carpeted aisle, we waited for the ceremony to begin with barely restrained patience. For the most part, this is an MMO world and thus the attendance was bristling with name-plates and speech bubbles.
When the wedding started, first GM Refresh appeared and strode the aisle to stand before the bishop; next, within a few minutes, GM Mokobonbon appeared and walked the aisle to stand next to him. Their friend, GM Lightburb stood as a sort of “ringbearer” taking up the wake behind them. Both Refresh and Mokobonbon dressed in ensembles common to Western marriage ceremonies with Refresh wearing a suit (and possibly tie) and Moko wore an all-white wedding gown.
The ceremony lasted approximately fifteen minutes and the “Wedding Emcee,” Bishop Steelem officiated. His words appeared in red in the chatbox and were scrolled in a marquee across the top of the screen. The ceremony proceeded in the manner of many-a-Western-styled wedding including the exchange of rings.
From the looks of it, GM Refresh had a “Glowing Wedding Band,” and GM Mokobonbon had a “Dazzling Wedding Ring,” suggesting that different types of wedding rings are available for exchange.
It ended with a call for blessing from the Goddess of Light upon the wedded bliss of GM Refresh and Mokobonbon.
A Finale: Rose petals and fireworks—an elated gathering to send them off
Before the ceremony, consumables had been placed by the officiates and groom. I suspect some of them contained rose petals to toss, as well as confetti, and possibly fireworks. When the ritual came to a close, many of these were tossed—possibly alongside other special effects from other powers that players have.
Overall, the ceremony was familiar, it didn’t deviate much from the media-held Western ceremony of marriage seen throughoutEuropeandNorth America.
After the bride and groom departed the Hall of Light the crowd thinned somewhat—and people took to the red carpet to congregate and mingle.
Overall, it went extremely well.
Perhaps a bit laggy; but it looks like a fine tradition has been started in Luvinia Online today.
