Las Vegas is a popular place to get married, but one man travelled to Sin City to say “I do” to his smartphone.
Aaron Chervenak, 34, from Los Angeles, married his mobile phone at the Little Vegas Chapel in Las Vegas. His aim was to make a point about society's growing dependence and reliance on smartphones.
“If we're gonna be honest with ourselves, we connect with our phones on so many emotional levels,” Chervenak said in a video documenting the odd ceremony.
In 18 months he'll upgrade, one commenter said
“We look to it for solace, to calm us down, to put us to sleep, to ease our minds, and to me, that's also what a relationship is about,” he said.
"So in a sense my smartphone has been my longest relationship. That's why I decided to see what it was like to actually marry a phone.”
When he arrived in Las Vegas, Chervenak contacted a chapel to see if they were willing to perform the peculiar, “slightly unorthodox”, ceremony. He was pleased to find out that the establishment was more than happy to do so.
“I think they were really excited about the prospect,” he said. “It is something different and it is something new.”
The black phone was dressed in a white case for the special occasion. During the ceremony, the officiant asked Chervenak to think of all the “laughter” and “good times” he has shared with his phone, then proceeding to ask him to promise to “honour” and “comfort her”.
The bride was dressed in white. Photo: YouTubeRegardless of the official ceremony, Chervenak’s marriage is not recognised in the state of Nevada.
“It's not yet legal to marry smartphones,” he admitted.
He hopes his wedding will act as a symbolic gesture to show how important phones are becoming in daily lives, and to get others to ask the same questions of themselves and their relationships with their phones.
Not everyone was understanding of the point Chervenak was trying to make.
“In 18 months he'll upgrade,” one commenter said on the YouTube video, which was posted on Tuesday.
The Little Vegas Chapel was quick to defend the unusual union, saying Chervenak “loves his phone very much. We can renew their vows when the new model comes out".