I never pictured myself getting married online. But that’s exactly what we ended up doing, and it was incredible.

My fiancé and I had been talking about secret wedding marriage for some time, but with different time zones, 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 virtual weddings. 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 have a valid marriage completely online — no courthouse visit required. 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 secured a time with a licensed officiant through an online marriage service.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our digital marriage license within hours.
• On our wedding day, we wore something nice for the webcam, sent the Zoom link to our closest friends and family, and said our vows live on camera.

Before we knew it, we were officially married. 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 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 paperwork.

Modern love looks different, 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.