Sweethearts Miguel Hanson and Diana Wesley got married yesterday. By a computer program Hanson programmed himself. Honestly, I don’t even consider that a big deal. In fact, I want to get married this way.
The newlyweds said their vows in front of a friends and family as Hanson’s parents’ home in Houston. The officiant was a 30-inch monitor with a robot voice. There is nothing wrong with this. Weddings are expensive, so you can understand why eschewing a more lavish wedding is really attractive. Keeping things small is great — do you really want to deal with the Facebook invites? And having a self-programmed robot preside over the ceremony is the perfect way to seal the deal.
Think about it. A wedding pact is a sacred covenant between two people, as observed by those closest to them and by the whole community thereafter. You don’t need a church to know that, even if you’re not one to put much stock in the institution. Writing your vows is one thing. Programming the priest/reverend/whatever puts the whole thing in your hands. You and your betrothed can control the whole tone of the event, going with the more traditional understated joy of the occasion, or with a more farcical, tongue-in-cheek approach — totally my wedding — that still conveys the weight of your commitment. It’s completely up to you.
Of course, the pact isn’t legally binding until the new spouses see a justice of the peace and get their licence. But still. The future! [NBC DFW]