"Open up and say AAaaaAhhHhh!!!~!~"

Found this article on the internet just now.

===================================================================
Two people who met in an online game are wedded in the first ceremony to be simultaneously held in both the real and virtual worlds.

By John Gaudiosi

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - While what happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas, Sony Online Entertainment made an exception on Sunday with the first-ever combination video game and real-life wedding that took place at the Rio Casino and in Norrath's Qeynos.

The wedding of Nathan and Kelly Davalos was part of the eighth annual SOE Fan Faire, which saw over 2,000 make the pilgrimage to Sin City to get a sneak peak at upcoming games like Pirates of the Burning Sea, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising, The Agency, and Free Realms.

Pastor Bill Toller of the Las Vegas Church of Praise presided over the wedding, which took place during the Saturday night banquet that culminated the three days of gaming activities. Two huge screens on either side of the stage beamed the live EverQuest II world to the attendees, who sat at hundreds of tables having finished a buffet dinner.

While there have been thousands of virtual weddings set within the worlds of EverQuest and EverQuest II, as well as many married couples who first met in the virtual massively multiplayer online (MMO) game world; this marked the first time two people were married in both the real and virtual world in one ceremony.

The pastor held a traditional wedding ceremony, complete with wedding vows and rings, but that was the only thing traditional about the event. Darth Vader, two stormtroopers, and EverQuest icons, Firiona Vie, and Antonia Beyle, walked down the red-carpeted ballroom aisle as part of the bridal procession.

Both the bride and groom wore traditional Old English costumes that were purchased from the United Kingdom for this "fantasy" wedding. Nathan and Kelly did not meet in the game world, but they do play EverQuest II together. They were planning on getting married at this, their first Fan Faire, and when Sony Online Entertainment heard this, the wedding ceremony became an event, complete with a TV crew capturing all the action.

Immediately following Nathan and Kelly's first kiss as husband and wife, the pastor invited the couple to step into their future with EverQuest II. The couple walked to the side of the stage where two PCs sat and each took control of their in-game characters -- Lady Quaddra and Lord Garthan. Set inside a custom home complete with pews, an altar, and a guide mage, Michael Shelling of SOE took the microphone and pronounced the couple Mr. and Mrs. Stormslayer in the game world while the mage shot fireworks off at the altar.

SOE's Alan Crosby, director of global community relations, took the microphone and continued with giveaways and other activities with the crowd while the new couple went to do some interviews. The newlyweds were back about an hour later to cut the cake on stage and share the moment with the crowd of fellow MMO gamers.

In keeping with the non-traditional theme of the night, the bride and groom exited again as the stage filled with 10 gamers in costumes from SOE games. Earlier, about 50 gamers had paraded across the stage, many in home-made costumes as pirates, knights, Jedis, and even a dominatrix, for the chance to win the top prize -- a $500 Visa gift card.

To close out the festivities, the 10 finalists were brought on stage and the attendees texted in their favorites for the winner to be chosen. Linda Carlson won her third costume contest as her in-game character, Brasse, a dwarf. She said she's made a different costume each year for the Fan Faires she's attended, but this will be her last costume competition, opening the door for a new winner next year.

SOE's Shelling said there was such an overwhelming response to the wedding that it might become a permanent part of Fan Faire. He said the challenge will be in trying to top this year's wedding. One idea he floated by was a real/virtual wedding in each of SOE's MMO game worlds -- EverQuest I and II, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Star Wars: Galaxies, PlanetSide, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising, and The Matrix Online.

View the video here