I never pictured myself getting married without being in the same room. But here we are — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My future spouse and I had been talking about marriage for months, but with busy schedules, planning a traditional wedding felt impossible. We weren’t even sure when we’d be in the same place long enough to make it official.

One night, while falling into an internet rabbit hole, 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 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 legally joined. 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 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 more info 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 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.

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

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