Life

Watch The World's First Social Video Wedding

by Emma McGowan

Megan Clark, 26, and Jack MacArthur, 37, met in May and immediately hit it off. It was one of those crazy fast falling in love situations where you talk as much as you can every day and spend the rest of the time thinking about each other and about what you’re going to say next. Pretty common story, right? Guy meets girl, guy and girl start talking, guy and girl fall head over heels in love. The big difference in their story, however, is that these lovebirds didn’t meet IRL until they’d already taken the tumble. Megan and Jack met on the social video app Weev and last weekend — after chatting online for less than four months and spending only four days physically together — they got married.

Jack is from North Dakota and Megan is from California but the wedding took place in Fort Collins, Colorado, in front of the 50 or so Weev community members who could physically attend. They were joined by scores of others who “popped in” via the app throughout the ceremony, watching as Megan was given away by Weev founder Andrew Sachs.

The video of the ceremony shows users participating from as far away as Egypt, commenting on the ceremony, offering their well-wishes, and goofing around with wedding rings. It’s an intimate glimpse into the surreal reality of a community that clearly cares about each other and is intimately involved in each other’s lives in a way that in a way that has never been seen before.

What to know more? Here are five surprising facts about the world’s first social video wedding.

1. Weev Was Co-Founded By A Face You’ll Recognize

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Sachs describes Weev as “a global hub for conversation” that utilizes face-to-face video to create “the most authentic social network.” Launched in July of last year, the app was founded by Sachs and Stephen Moyer of True Blood fame. Sachs tells Bustle that the app started as a simple question and answer app but quickly evolved beyond that as users discovered new ways to use the tech.

2. The App Is Creating Connections Around The World

Interactions start with one user posting a video and then anyone who wants to respond can do so with their own video. The conversations in-app range from casual check-ins about what peope are doing to a Weev-specific morning show featuring LA comedians Karli Kaiser and Brian Rodriguez to interviews with famous people.

No matter what the topic, though, users are welcomed to join in on the conversation with their own videos. And they do — a lot. Weev won an Appy award this year for best social messaging app and has seen rapid growth and serious engagement, with users spending an average of 20 minutes per session and checking in for three sessions per day. Users report a close knit, respectful community, genuine friendships and, now, love.

3. Weev Is Not A Dating App

Despite Meghan and Jack’s love story, Sachs says that Weev wasn’t meant to be a dating app.

“I thought maybe a few years down the line a relationship might blossom into a wedding,” he tells Bustle. “But we underestimated the intimacy that face-to-face conversation empowers. People from around the world are connecting based on common interests, and they get to know each other very quickly. So, in retrospect, it makes sense that Meg and Jack found each other and bonded so tightly.”

4. The Happy Couple Had A Very Short Engagement

Even Megan admits that things moved much faster than she expected — they only spent four days together IRL and less than four months on Weev before tying the knot.

5. Their Families Don’t Know Yet

Megan tells Bustle that the courtship was so short because “when you know, you know.” However, while Megan and Jack might “know,” their families don’t yet. This wedding was for their “Weev family,” who are supportive of their relationship. The more complicated task of explaining to mom and dad that she married a guy she fell in love with and married a guy over an app? That's been put off for a later date.

In the meantime, the newlyweds are back home in their respective states and planning out their future together — via Weev, of course.

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Images: Courtesy Of Weev; Giphy (2)