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

My partner and I had been talking about marriage for some time, but with travel limitations, planning a traditional wedding felt overwhelming. We weren’t even sure when we’d be in the same place long enough to make it official.

One night, while scrolling Reddit, I came across a post about getting married online. At first, I thought it was a joke, but the more info 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 even accepted internationally in many cases.

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 electronic 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 legally joined. We toasted over FaceTime, 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 authentic 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 an option more people should consider — 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 paperwork.

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

Whether you're across the street or across the ocean, you can make it official — and make it yours.