With Kal Penn Emceeing, Indian American Couple Gets Married In Taco Bell’s Metaverse

By BHARTTI KUMAR

PACIFICA, CA – Every Indian American couple plans their wedding with bits of tradition fitted into contemporary themes and venues. They want it to be a fairy tale event.

Venture capitalist Sheel Mohnot and attorney Amruta Godbole of San Francisco, CA had their own unique version on February 24. They had an unconventional wedding and reception at ‘Decentraland’, a virtual reality browser platform.

Selected from 300 couples who had applied to the Taco Bell metaverse wedding contest, the duo customized their space. Mega lovers of Mexican food and Taco Bell fare, the vegetarian duo made the wedding day, their own.

The ceremony took place at the oceanfront location of the ‘Pacifica’ restaurant, considered to be the most beautiful property of the fast food chain and where the two had met on one of their first dates.

Actor Kal Penn said he was honored to emcee and officiate at the wedding. His avatar had a striking red jacket and a hat with tacos all around. The bride was in a soft pink lehenga while the groom wore a traditional sherwani, riding in on a virtual elephant.  

Under a mandap and a virtual ‘agni’ the Bay area-based couple pledged their love with the typical inside jokes and promises. Godbole averred in her speech that it was worth going through the formalities of downloading and filling forms to have a novel special event.

There were one-minute speeches from the groom’s brother Rishi, and the bride’s sister Sonia. Friend Tyler and aunt Seema shared their fond sentiments and raised the virtual glasses to toast.  

The cinnamon cake tower stood out. The Taco bell bouquet toss drew excitement, and the nacho fountain attracted the virtual avatars who ran for it like it was a spa. Tall Taco trees were lit up with colorful lanterns.

The metaverse gala reception had all the Taco Bell fare such as tacos, quesadillas and nachos set up on tables as adornments. The first dance by the couple was followed by more entertainment from the DJ.

Avatars who participated in the festivities, arrived in Indian outfits, with most men in white jackets printed with Taco Bell food items and some in various sauce-like packets as their shirts. 

Stream chats were lit with guests asking if it was a legit and real wedding. Answer: yes. Many seemed enthralled, calling it ‘super cool.’