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

My future spouse legal marriage online and I had been talking about marriage for a while, but with living in different states, 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 legal Zoom ceremonies. 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 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 electronic marriage license without hassle.
• On our wedding day, we dressed up from the waist up, sent the Zoom link to our closest loved ones, and said our vows live on camera.

In less than 20 minutes, we were officially married. We toasted over Zoom, 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 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 exploring wedding options, I highly recommend looking into online marriage. It's an option more people should consider — especially if you're in a long-distance relationship.

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.

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