{
  "id": 11949586,
  "title": "She’s Not There – check out these astonishing photos of weddings where one partner isn’t real!",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/shes-not-there-check-out-these-astonishing-photos-of-weddings-where",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T14:57:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Amateur Photographer",
    "slug": "amateur-photographer",
    "url": "https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/photo-news/shes-not-there-check-out-these-astonishing-photos-of-weddings-where-one-partner-isnt-real/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "French photographer Jérôme Gence has captured a peculiar trend in Japan: virtual marriages where one partner is a fictional character from manga, anime, or video games. The project, called Virtual Marriages, explores the evolving relationship between technology, intimacy, and reality. One such couple is Lucie from France and Mami, a character from Rent-A-Girlfriend. They had a symbolic wedding ceremony in Tokyo, which holds no legal value but represents a genuine emotional connection. Another example is Anna from Italy, who is in love with Raven from the video game Tales of Vesperia. Her real-life partner Antonio is not jealous of this arrangement, explaining that loving the fictional character means accepting it as it is. Gence's work on this project has been featured in prominent publications such as Le Figaro, Stern, Spiegel, Le Monde, and National Geographic. His approach combines traditional photography tools with a modern narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the intersection of technology and human behavior.",
  "summary": "French photographer Jérôme Gence explores what happens when fictional characters become real-life partners in Virtual Marriages, a project about technology, intimacy and our changing relationship with reality. The post She’s Not There – check out these astonishing photos of weddings where one partner isn’t real! appeared first on Amateur Photographer .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}