We’re Engaged: Love Stories Nurtured by New Media
We all love a good “how they met” story. From decade-long marriages that sprouted from a childhood friendship to falling in love at first sight, a couple’s “how they met” story is a nod to the unique ways we find love.
While every love story is one-of-a-kind, it’s true that people born now will fall in love differently than we did — and people born ten years from now won’t fall in love the same way they did. This doesn’t impact the nature of these relationships, it just means that technological advancements open up new opportunities for people to meet their soulmates. New media offers a multitude of ways to engage with like-minded viewers, spurring conversations and forging connections between those who might not have had the chance to meet, or even speak, otherwise.
Follow along as I recap some of the greatest love stories that occurred as the result of new age entertainment.
An Insta-worthy “I Do”
If a picture is worth a thousand words, every Instagram account is a modern-day autobiographical novel; a visual timeline of our lives told in chronological order. For the most part, it’s just picture evidence of things that make us happy — a meal, our pets, a new destination we’re seeing for the first time. But peppered in with these smaller moments are major life milestones — the birth of a first child, moving to a new state, wedding photos. What you don’t usually see, however, are marriage proposals.
Neil Parris, a digital-media executive, created a separate account just to propose to his then-girlfriend, Jenna Caine. The couple initially met in person at Coachella, but nurtured their relationship over social media. After a few years of dating, Neil posted a 42-picture Instagram story of their relationship, from hours before they met for the first time to when he finally popped the question.
From Gamer Friends to IRL Couple
Video games have always offered an escape from everyday life, so imagine the level of camaraderie that could happen in an online video-game forum. 14-year-old Joanna Champion and Tristan Cooper became fast friends, non-stop chatting on the forum, then AOL Instant Messenger, then the phone, then social media.
What started as a friendship eventually blossomed into a relationship after the couple met for the first time ten years later. They were engaged not long after their first in-person encounter and eventually tied the knot in front of friends and family.
A VR Wedding
Forging emotional connections online is happening more frequently than ever before; now, add in the element of virtual reality. VR can make falling in love even easier since avatars can mimic human emotions and body language. Nina Allam and Sean Barbary met on the VR platform Second Life; their avatars fell in love, got married, and even created a virtual tropical island for themselves in the game.
Before they even met in person, Nina and Sean were already married and had a life together. As their relationship developed, they started communicating over phone and webcam and, despite their nervousness, finally scheduled a time to see each other in person. After their first meet-up, their feelings from the game transferred to a real-life connection.
A Televised Gay Wedding Makes History
Former NSYNC band member Lance Bass made history when he agreed to marry his then-fiancé Michael Turchin on television. The 90-minute special took viewers through the couple’s entire wedding — from the early stages of planning to when they exchanged their vows at the altar. I was honored to have my company involved in producing this special event.
While Lance and Michael didn’t meet online, media offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for viewers to witness something that would otherwise have been a private event. Obviously on-screen weddings aren’t for every celebrity couple (a life in the spotlight demands some privacy on occasion), but it’s undeniable that new media has opened up opportunities that never existed before.
As times change, the way we fall in love will change — but love will always be love.