This year marks the 20^th anniversary of “The Sims”, a popular life simulation video game from Electronic Arts and Maxis. Digital Trends’ Lisa Marie Segarra reported that “The Sims 4,” the latest game in the franchise, reached 20 million unique players in January 2020. With so many players, the game’s fan base shares a lot of unique experiences: cheat codes for instant wealth, the creative challenges of building homes, and weird ways to die, just to name a few. If you’ve ever planned an in-game wedding, you know how unexpectedly wrong things can go. Here’s how these problems with virtual weddings can teach us a few lessons about the real deal.

Sometimes, Vendors Don’t Show Up

Sim weddings are a bit of a gamble. For those not familiar with the game franchise, planning a wedding involves selecting options from a series of menus: who to invite, where to host the event, and who to hire for catering, bartending, and entertainment. If only real wedding planning were that easy, right?

But even after faithfully going through the event wizard and making careful choices, your chosen professional may not show up. Because of this, online discussion forums are full of Sim wedding stories in which the caterer or mixologist didn’t arrive. Some players improvise, directing one of their Sims to jump in and cook or mix drinks. That’s not exactly practical or possible in real life, however. Martha Stewart Weddings’ Alyssa Brown offers some great advice for handling vendor no-shows:

• Create a backup plan.
• Ask your wedding planner or a trusted friend for an alternative solution.
• Follow up with the vendor after your wedding, if possible.

You can also reduce the chance of a no-show by carefully choosing your vendors and reading contracts thoroughly before signing or paying any deposits.

Accidents and Fires Can Happen

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking activities cause 48% of reported home fires. That statistic can feel a little closer to home when you see your Sim catch on fire while trying to cook a grilled cheese sandwich. When it happens at Sim weddings, some characters run around panicking and others break out the extinguishers. Then again, the groom could decide that right before the ceremony is an excellent time to repair a broken stereo while standing near a large puddle of water.

Most couples don’t have to deal with a major fire or electrical hazards at their venue, but it still pays to be prepared. Ask your venue about its liability insurance requirements, and make sure you’re adequately covered before the big day. Also, avoid fireworks or fancy pyrotechnics for your grand exit. If you’re stuck for ideas, Brides offers eco-friendly suggestions such as dried flowers, fresh herbs, and biodegradable confetti.  

Guests Can Be Unpredictable 

Family drama can complicate your wedding plans, but even the virtual world isn’t free of these conflicts. If you’ve ever watched a fistfight break out at a Sim wedding, you understand this point all too well. You can’t control people’s actions, but you can take steps to minimize the chance of a major blow-up. Use your seating chart to keep acrimonious relatives far apart, advises Martha Stewart Weddings’ Ellie Finn. If you’ve hired a wedding planner, don’t forget to give this person the heads up about potential problems.

It’s impossible to grow money on trees or produce a fire extinguisher from thin air in the real world. However, some aspects of “The Sims” prove that art does occasionally imitate life. Missing vendors, unexpected catastrophes, and interpersonal conflicts happen at both real and Sim weddings. You can’t reload your last save and start over with a real wedding, but you can take steps to prevent or minimize negative impacts. Above all, smart preparation and flexibility are key to handling the unexpected on your big day.