The couple’s game characters Photo: screenshot of the wedding video

Due to the ban on large gatherings after the COVID-19 outbreak, almost all wedding ceremonies have been suspended in China. However, a Chinese netizen couple decided not to wait and held a wedding in an online game, even inviting more than 30 friends to attend the cloud ceremony.

"After spending two weeks preparing the wedding in the game, including buying costumes for game characters, my wife and I wore our pajamas sitting in front of two computers in the study, and she did not even have any makeup on during the whole ceremony," the netizen groom "Jigen" told the Global Times on Monday.

Jigen and his wife, whose web name is Nora, booked their wedding for May 17 at a hotel in Shanghai one year ago, but considering risks and difficulties caused by the coronavirus, they cancelled it in April.

"The idea of having a wedding as an online game was not sudden. We are crazy about games and many close friends also play games together, so after thinking for a while, we decided to celebrate our wedding online," Jigen said.

The wedding process

The wedding was held in the Final Fantasy XIV (FF14) on May 17, the original date of their real wedding, and the process was livestreamed on a Chinese live broadcasting platform for the couple's friends and families who did not create a game account.

Jigen and Nora sat in front of two computers at home and followed the steps of the ceremony arranged in the game. When exchanging rings with each other, Jigen found his ring was covered by gloves so they uploaded a photo of their hands with rings on to make it more realistic.

Jigen said that he and his wife are both shy and were worried that they would be too reserved when getting married, but the online wedding made them feel more relaxed.

"All the guests are familiar friends in real life, and everyone cooperated with us as we went through the wedding process. We played happily."

The wedding, which cost less than 2,500 yuan ($350) for items such as topping up in the game, also had support from the couple's parents, who wanted to attend the online wedding but did not make it because it was hard for them to learn how to play the game, Jigen said.

How to prepare

It took the couple two weeks to prepare the special wedding. Nora wrote an 11-page guideline with pictures for guests who were not familiar with the game about how to create a game account and enter the wedding site after defeating enemies in the game.

Jigen posted their wedding poster in WeChat Moments, an image and information-sharing platform, to announce the big day to their friends and invite them to attend.

"Many of our friends were very interested in the idea and thought it was both romantic and cool, so they actively participated and congratulated us online," Jigen added. Finally, he built a WeChat group with 50 members to discuss details of the wedding.

If players want to attend weddings in the game, they have to arrive at the cathedral on time. So, before the wedding, the couple helped guests beat enemies and escorted them to the cathedral every night.

Jigen said that there were occasionally guests being killed by monsters on the way to the cathedral. "Thanks to these friends who risked their lives to attend the wedding. This is the real meaning of friendship!"

Jigen will not hold a wedding in real life even if the epidemic ends as the wedding is just a ceremony and marks the beginning of a new life, and he feels that the online wedding has the same effect.

"Online games are a part of my life. My wife and I often play games together when we have a break and if it does not affect our routines. The game is also a good way to enhance intimacy."