I never pictured myself getting married without being in the same room. But sometimes things happen differently than expected.

My significant other and I had been talking about marriage for some time, but with busy schedules, planning a traditional wedding felt out of reach. We weren’t even sure when we’d be in the same place long enough to get more info make it official.

One night, while browsing forums, I came across a post about getting married online. At first, I thought it was a joke, but the more I looked into it, the more legit it seemed.

Turns out, in places like Utah, you can legally marry completely online — no courthouse visit required. It's recognized in all 50 states.

We decided to go for it. Why wait?

Here’s what the process looked like for us:

• We scheduled a time with a licensed officiant through an official virtual marriage site.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our virtual marriage license within hours.
• 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.

By the end of the call, we were legally joined. We toasted over video chat, smiled at each other through the screen, and let it all sink in. It was beautiful — 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 exploring wedding options, 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.

Love doesn’t follow old rules anymore, and honestly? That’s kind of amazing.

Wherever you are, you can make it official — and make it yours.