The Harry Potter-themed reception will set a new standard for virtual weddings.

By Ashima Sethi

Happy couple Dinesh S P and Janaganandhini Ramaswamy are ditching Zoom, Hangouts and Google Meet in favour of the Polygon blockchain for their virtual wedding celebration.

Set to take place on the 6th of February, the couple will tie the knot in an intimate wedding in Sivalingapuram before hosting a digital reception at a virtual, Metaverse-based venue where friends and family from around the world can login and be part of the festivities.

The idea to host the Metaverse wedding was thought up by Dinesh who works as an associate at IIT Madras. He then floated the idea to his soon-to-be wife who works as a software developer and she was on board immediately, especially because the unpredictability of COVID-19 has put a damper on travel plans and in-person gatherings.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Metaverse, it is a new technology that combines virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and video features to create an ‘online world’ where users can plug in as ‘avatars’ to meet in VR environments such as concerts.

The couple’s reception will centre on a Harry Potter theme as the couple are die-hard fans of the franchise. Once guests log in they will be transported to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which will act at the reception’s unique location.

The couple have told the media that despite the theme their avatars will be dressed in traditional Indian attire and all guests will have the opportunity to choose and customise their avatar. Guests will also be given the chance to present virtual gifts to the couple in the form of GPay, online gift vouchers, and money via cryptocurrency.

We can’t wait to see how it all plays out!