Kiss the virtual bride

Computers and virtual reality were a huge hit in video game arcades and air force training when gamers and trainee fighter pilots went inside virtual simulators flying virtual fighters and battling virtual enemies. Now the same aerospace simulation technology is being adapted to plan weddings in Japan. NEC, Japan's electronics behemoth, says its Virtual Wedding system uses graphics processing and a high-resolution display to create every little detail from a virtual reception hall to a virtual wedding cake. If the commercial trials are a success, the company plans to combine this with software that will even superimpose the faces of the happy couple on a virtual bride and groom.