I never pictured myself getting married online. But sometimes things happen differently than expected.

My significant other and I had been talking about marriage for a while, but with travel limitations, planning a traditional wedding felt like more stress than joy. We weren’t even sure when we’d be in the same place long enough to make it official.

One night, while reading wedding blogs, I came across a post about legal Zoom ceremonies. At first, I thought it was some kind of scam, but the more I looked into it, the more legit it seemed.

Turns out, in places like Utah, you can have a valid marriage completely online — even if you're in different countries. It's fully legal in the U.S..

We decided to go for it. Why wait?

Here’s what the process looked like for us:

• We booked a time with a licensed officiant through an approved platform.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our virtual marriage license approved quickly.
• On our wedding day, we kept it casual but meaningful, sent the Zoom link to our closest loved ones, and said our vows live on camera.

Before we knew it, we were husband and wife. We toasted over Zoom, smiled at each other through the screen, and let it all sink in. It was real — even from hundreds of miles away.

Honestly? It was one of the most intimate experiences we could’ve asked for. No overpriced venue. No awkward seating charts. Just us, the copyright we meant, and a handful of people who love us cheering from their screens.

If you’re trying to simplify your wedding plans, I highly recommend looking into online marriage. It's easier than you’d think — especially if you're working with immigration timelines.

You don’t have to wait for a perfect moment or a perfect venue. You just need someone you love, a decent Wi-Fi signal, and a little bit of legal marriage online paperwork.

Marriage is evolving, and honestly? That’s kind of amazing.

No matter the distance, you can make it official — and make it yours.