Love is tricky, even in RL.  But how does it work in SL?  I have asked myself that question oodles of times.  Does love really exist in RL, or is it just a crafty justification for some folks to create an Alt character and give themselves an excuse to throw lavish weddings, and garnish their profiles with professions of eternal devotion to their so-called hubby or wifey?

 A friend of mine is getting married herself in a few weeks.  As her Maid-of-Honor (oh yes, I am tickled pink over this), I have been running around with her from sim to sim, looking for the perfect dress, the perfect site for the nuptials, the perfect salon to do our hair, the perfect pair of stilettos.  But is all this fuss, and all this time invested, and all the Lindens she is forking out, truly worth it?

I mean, is SL love worth it?

She seems to think so.  She met her beau outside of a dance club one night, much like one would in RL.  They had a very short but very intense whirlwind romance, much like one could in RL.  And he is the obliging groom-to-be, entertaining her with a limitless bank account at her disposal so that she can find the right site for the reception, and look amazing in her 2 gazillion Linden costing wedding gown.  Well ok,  maybe that would not happen in RL, but you get my point, right?

I asked my friend, why get married? Why go through all this trouble? Why not just pay the 20L or 10L (what is the cost to declare a partner now?) and say you are "Married", ta-dah? Why all this pomp and circumstance?  As she puts it, "Love in SL is no different than love in RL.  We all want to feel those butterfiles in our stomachs. We get that warm feeling knowing that someone out there misses us when we are not around.  And so, we want all of our friends to know how much we adore each other. And the wedding ceremony is an ideal way to do that."

I'm still not convinced.  Is there such a thing as love in the Virtual World?  I don't know. But if the quantity of wedding chapels, elaborate wedding services, and the market for wedding gowns is an indicator of the demand for weddings in SL, then perhaps there is something to it.  Just maybe Love does exist in the Virtual World.  Or maybe, people will devise any excuse to get dressed up and throw a huge party!  ; )

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