Second Life? Has it Gone too Far???

The Price of Tying the Virtual Knot

By: Rubena Reuters

To Read the full article copy and paste into your browser:       http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/05/28/the-price-of-tying-the-virtual-knot/

"SECOND LIFE, May 28 (Reuters) - Srv4u Conacher, 34, and Josi Nebestanka, 39, were recently married in a large, lavish ceremony by Kande Knox. Conacher, a gospel blues singer, met his wife at a karaoke bar in Orlando, where he sang “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At their wedding, Nebestanka didn’t simply walk down the aisle; she floated down from the sky on a giant rose petal....

That’s not an announcement that would be found in the Weddings section of the New York Times — only in Second Life. And as the virtual world’s avatars have their first, second or even seventh dream weddings, the virtual bridal industry is increasingly lucrative for planners, builders and designers.

.....The virtual world offers nearly infinite opportunities to customize a wedding. It goes beyond picking the colors of bouquets or the menu at the reception. Knox once planned a wedding for vampire couples, complete with a blood cake, a black bat altar and torches lining the walls. She has married cowboys, countless gay couples, three people together, and a witch to a furry.

....“The strangest, though, would be a furry wedding. We had hard time getting some of the furries in gowns,” she said, laughing.

.......Puddytat Zamboni, whose real name is Kimberly Lawton, runs a wedding planning service with 15 employees, including decorators, DJs, photographers and security guards. She offers three different wedding packages, from the basic Silver costing L$5,000 to the deluxe Diamond, which runs from L$10,000-19,000. The most expensive option includes all the basics, plus a two night honeymoon stay at a virtual resort and “dinner” for two at a restaurant.

....Conacher and Nebestanka — the bride and groom who met over karaoke “Bohemian Rhapsody” — were already married in real life when they took their virtual world vows. The couple, whose real names are Ray and Debora Confer, said the L$20,000 they spent on their wedding was well worth the price of renewing their vows virtually."

WTF?  they charge like $200.00 USD for a Virtual wedding or to renew your vows?  Am I the only one that thinks this is a bit fucked up?

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