There has been a lot of interest lately regarding relationships in virtual worlds spilling over into real life. Not surprisingly, the response from most of the media has been negative and condemning in their views of virtual romances and even virtual worlds themselves. Lets face it, happy stories of successful romances aren't sensational enough to even get a mention most of the time, even though programs like Second Life do have their fair share of successful friendships and deep meaningful relationships that cross over into the real world. To give a balanced view of virtual romance, I accepted an invitation to interview a lady who wanted me to write about her particular Second Life romance, which has lead to a real life engagement, and to say she is happy is an understatement!

I invited SeasonedRed Halfpint (her avatar name) over to my office to hear about her amazing story. Season and Darrius Beresford (his avatar name) married in Second Life on the 15 November 2008, and they lavishly spent 3000 USD on the virtual wedding (their beautiful virtual wedding was recorded on video and you can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emw3FdJOuJw
I asked Season how she first met Darrius. She told me that she and Darrius met because of her job in the virtual world, Season is a Supervisor for First Meta, an SL Company, and Darrius contacted her with a question, and they became friends. (Season also owns an in-world company called 'Weddings for All By: Seasoned).
I asked Season if she felt an attraction to Darrius straight away and she told me 'I did not.... I was working...and last thing on my mind was relationship.' Season and Darrius had first met on 7 December, but did not date until 8 May. She told me that Darrius had kept in touch by friendly IM messages, although they had seen each other in-world a couple of times prior to their actual first SL date. I commented that it seemed that they had taken things slowly, Season told me that was a big part of Darrius's wedding vows, he made a reference to the IMs and the longer conversations. (Brides and grooms usually write their own wedding vows for SL Weddings).
I asked if they had known their real life identities on their first date, Season said that they did not, it had always been about business before and it was only on the date that they talked more personally. I asked her if she thought Darrius had thought of romance before the date and she said 'No.....I think it was a surprise for him as well.' Darrius, who is a Jazz Club owner in SL, took Season for a candlelit dinner and dance on their first date and it was there that they spoke in 'voice' saying 'hello' for the first time. I asked her if she had been nervous she said 'yesssssss but so was he....and together it was perfect.' I asked if he was easy to talk to, she said 'Yes....he was....and quickly became my confidant and now I can say he is my Best Friend.'
I asked if they set up a second date straight away and she told me 'No, we laughed and talked so much, we simple said we must do this again.' Darrius sent Season a message and they went exploring in sl on their second date, having fun at 'Carnivals and bumper cars'. She said 'from that moment (we) did everything together....' she continued 'he escorted me to a Grand Opening, and that, I think was the next level, we made a public appearance' I asked her if she had realised how she felt, she said 'I had fallen in love'. I wanted to know if she had told him, she said 'He told me', she continued 'I asked one day - What am I going to do with you, and he said Love me'
Season told me 'It has been a beautiful journey. He asked me to marry him on July 10, 2008 @ 5:45PM SLT in a surprise engagement party' She said 'I call it the second beginning of my SL.' I asked Season if she had ever intended to have an SL romance, she told me 'I had dated...but the mental charades people play....I just never had the time for it....so I had poured myself into work and when he came along on the personal side it was a magical experience.' She said they had exchanged real life information on the second date, so they would talk on and off throughout the day and night. Season said 'but he made it special....he never pressed, it happened when it was time.'
I wanted to know who suggested an SL wedding. Although Season is a wedding planner in SL, she told me 'the whole SL Wedding with us, was all him' And Season and Darrius's wedding was very special, she told me 'We had a service that was so unique' 'A Royal Wedding with a Coronation of King and Queen. Members of the SL Ballet Danced at our wedding.' Season gave me a commemorative coin that they had made, and she told me '....I felt as if I was the Queen, or I am.' It had taken them four months to plan their special day in SL, they had married in a building similar to Palm House in Sefton Park, Liverpool, UK. They also used a grand palace similar to the Emirates Palace. By the time Season and Darius married in SL, they had already become engaged in real life, Darrius had asked Season to marry him back in September. She said she had 'been surprised, but wasn't' at the same time, as she knew they had a bond that went deeper than SL.
Season and Darrius plan a real life wedding in the early summer of next year and you can tell by the way she talks that this is real love. Luckily they only live 8 hours from each other, and not on different sides of the planet.
In Season's SL vows to Darrius she states 'My Love, in a place, where time is never of the essence, we found the unconditional flow, that makes us laugh, makes us cry, we found the core essence of what love is supposed to be, one that never depends, or takes, but infuses the richness of what it was created to do, and that is give, we have the formula, and we make it work for us, never against us, but together we make a better tomorrow.' And do you know what? I see a very happy lady in love, and it doesn't really matter where and how Season and Darrius met, they are meant to be together. Second Life simply gave them the chance to meet as it does lots of happy couples, who have gone on to have loving relationships in real life. I wish them all the very best for a fantastic future together, both in SL and in real life.

Sepia photo of Darrius and Season together used by courtesy of Seasonedred Halfpint