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

My partner and I had been talking about marriage for a while, but with different time zones, 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 virtual weddings. At first, I thought it was some kind of scam, but the more I looked into it, the more legit online marriage it seemed.

Turns out, in places like Utah, you can have a valid marriage completely online — no need to be in the same location. 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 approved platform.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our virtual marriage license within hours.
• On our wedding day, we dressed up from the waist up, sent the Zoom link to our closest inner circle, and said our vows live on camera.

In less than 20 minutes, we were officially married. We toasted over FaceTime, smiled at each other through the screen, and let it all sink in. It was emotional — even from hundreds of miles away.

Honestly? It was one of the most stress-free 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 looking for a way to get married without the drama, I highly recommend looking into online marriage. It's an option more people should consider — especially if you're dealing with life’s curveballs.

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.

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