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Marie And Jay Coulbeck, IMVU Gamer Couple Who Met As Avatars Wed In Real Life

Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 26/04/2012 14:04 Updated: 26/04/2012 14:11

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A couple who met via online role-playing game IMVU have married in real life after falling for each other's avatars.

The online personas of Marie Coulbeck, 44, and Jay Coulbeck, 41, may have impossibly perky boobs and ridiculously ripped abs, but the two saw through their enhanced online images to find a real connection that has joined them together as husband and wife.

Mrs Coulbeck, 44, told The Daily Mail: "My confidence and self-esteem was rock bottom but this programme allowed me to leave that behind and be the person I wanted to be."

"I designed the Goddess to be everything I felt I wasn’t in real life: slim, sexy and confident. Being her was a way of escaping the usual drudgery and I actually started to prefer my online life to my real one," she said.

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Mrs Coulbeck's character, Goddess of the Orient, and sports a curvy, toned figure, a skirt the size of a belt and and a top that barely covers her amble bossom.

Mr Coulbeck's shirtless avatar Gunner has a Tommy Lee aesthetic, with rippling abs, tribal tattoos, shaggy black hair and low-slung goth rave trousers.

While the marriage is rare, IMVU is designed to help people meet. An online chat and role playing space where members can create a fantasy avatar that can embody everything they're not, users can select all their character's features, including their face and body shape. They can then design a virtual "hang out" to meet with and chat to online friends. It was in such a hang out that Goddess and Gunner met.

IMVU was launched in 2004 and has 25 million registered users and takes in $1 million in revenue each month, according to Crunchbase.

It makes its money via the sale of virtual credits, used to purchase digital products and is backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Check out photos of the IMVU newly weds and their avatars below.


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  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. This is the pair with their Avatars. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is Marie with her online Avatar Goddess of the Orient. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie and Jay Coulbeck. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. This is Jay's Avatar Gunner. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. This is Jay's Avatar Gunner. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. This is the couples Avatars in the wedding outfits they bought for each other. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. This is the pair on their wedding day. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. Jay and Marie together after they first met. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

  • Marie Coulbeck and husband Jay, they both met on the online gaming site called IMVU and fell in love and got married thanks to their Avatars. (Photo credit: Jeremy Durkin)

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A couple who met via online role-playing game IMVU have married in real life after falling for each other's avatars. The online personas of Marie Coulbeck, 44, and Jay Coulbeck, 41, may have impos...
A couple who met via online role-playing game IMVU have married in real life after falling for each other's avatars. The online personas of Marie Coulbeck, 44, and Jay Coulbeck, 41, may have impos...
 
 
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mjohnsonre1
0 Fans
10:26 PM on 10/08/2012
just becareful imvu likes to suck you in get you involved spend your money and without any consideration they screw you take it away. Complain they don't care. They do as they want and if you don't like it they don't give a crap. Its actually a really unfair sight. I know you will say leave well kinda hard if you have a lot of money tied up in something to just leave when its the company that something should be done about. don't take money as a company and expect no one to say anything. Just beware of this place. UNFAIR
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Mihaliss Moisaki
3 Fans
10:50 PM on 06/17/2012
i am in relatiobship with a girl in imvu at in real :)
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
dollydimple62
Author....reader ,love life.
282 Fans
 
04:27 PM on 05/11/2012
I suppose its no different than using an ordinary chat room?
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richardsplt
1 Fans
01:47 PM on 05/08/2012
In a word - sad! It speaks volumes for how society has imploded into a lowest common denominator-led state of idiocy. I may be a nay-sayer, but honestly, hands up all those who think this will last?
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Tracey1971
22 Fans
01:06 PM on 05/08/2012
I give it a few months as the relatioship started off on lies and fantasy.
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alfieslittlegirl
0 Fans
12:35 PM on 05/08/2012
Congratulations to both of them is what I say...it is what's the done thing to be said when two people are reunited in love isn't it !

I hope they have loads of great times together...for a long time to come...REALLY !

As for the bitter gits who cannot say anything decent then may I suggest that you remain silent on this auspicious occasion rather than put your big gobsworths in with such nasty comments as you seem to feel is your right ...wtf are you to preach to anyone huh ?

Many , many blessings to everyone in love...be it with yourselves or otherwise...xxx
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joelarbear87
11 Fans
 
07:28 PM on 05/09/2012
I completely agree....there really is not that much of a difference between this and meeting online anywhere else. It doesn't go into detail but I can probably assure you they met each other IRL before they decided to get married. It's just a tool to meet people, they decided to take it further. I'm surprised at the negative feedback.
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trishaa1616
0 Fans
12:29 PM on 05/08/2012
I don't care what anyone says or thinks. This is HILARIOUS.
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slam-bam
21 Fans
12:01 PM on 05/08/2012
It was inevitable that they were not going to be anywhere near as good looking as theyre avatars!!! Nerd gamers all over! See "The Big Bang Theory"... which I love, btw! :-)
.. and as for those who say "isnt it nice that they found each other rather than being alone"... who the hell says you have to have a partner to be happy???
Fair do's if you get a partner and you are happy... kudos to you!
But dont for one moment think that, just coz some of us are 'alone' we are miserable! Short-sighted comment, or what!!
I love being alone -- not 'lonely', there's a massive difference.
I have many friends, coupled and single, UK and abroad.
I have safe sex, or just company (for laughs or just chilling) when I choose.
I have a brilliant job that I love...... I could go on.
I dont get why people have to live by this 'code' that says if you're single you're not happy.
I beg to differ, as I see many people in relationships who are 'stuck', and there's only a few couples who are happy, compared to the singlies who enjoy their freedom to do what they want, where they want, when they want... the free spirit which eludes many couples, as they have to think of the other one first?!
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alfieslittlegirl
0 Fans
12:40 PM on 05/08/2012
You BEG to ...sorry what was that again...I thought you said BEG for a silly moment ?
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Wayne123abc
0 Fans
11:54 AM on 05/08/2012
What a couple of TIT'S...!
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ozzielouth
36 Fans
11:12 AM on 05/08/2012
Isn't it nicer to think that two people found each other this way rather than being alone? It goes to show that they are interested in personalities as that is what they became attracted to initially; and beauty is in the eye of the beholder - trust me as I have no idea why my wife chose me! Its easy to troll, but some people play games for different reasons. I met my wife at work, but we both play online games and we find there are more people who act like arseholes and intimidate others because they have sad little lives in real life. I hope they are very happy together and wish them all the best for the future.
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madbloke
25 Fans
10:31 AM on 05/08/2012
Strewth - that guy needs a lawyer who knows his way around the 'Trades Description Act' because her avitar is, shall we say, misleading at least...
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motoroes
10 Fans
09:56 AM on 05/08/2012
Perfect physical example of computer game players!
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dsaun755
14 Fans
09:52 AM on 05/08/2012
I suppose that if you are a fantasist you would enjoy creating an Avatar BUT, to take that over onto REAL life seems rather sad really.
At least this pair now know exactly what the other truly hankers after. I could not be with anyone who so openly wished I was someone else. That would make me sad and probably insecure. I wish them happiness however, the same as I would any couple who took the step of marriage, but somehow I doubt either will live up to the others expectations.
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alfieslittlegirl
0 Fans
12:45 PM on 05/08/2012
Pmsl...that is the great thing about this story...when/if each or one of them ever gets to the point of not living up to expectations then hey...don another role and...hey presto it's all well and good again...I think the two of them have got it sussed and have all these comments to ptsl over and who knows...one of you may well become the villain in their rols play adventures...maybe we already are...hmmm...?
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xdevilxbabex2003
0 Fans
09:17 AM on 05/08/2012
though ive never played the game, i met my husband online on faceparty! we chatted for a while, and decided to meet up to have a drink, not expecting anything more than that. here we are, happily married for six years with a son and we couldnt be happier! it can work out, if its meant too! Congrats and best of wishes to the happy couple!
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tabasco2152
6 Fans
08:39 AM on 05/08/2012
This is nonsense - you can only find true love in Call of duty 4
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karen1963yorks
My micro bio was empty. Good.
329 Fans
09:30 AM on 05/08/2012
Well if you like soldiers then go for it.
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alfieslittlegirl
0 Fans
12:48 PM on 05/08/2012
so...you do play games then...but only when harm n pain are involved...?
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