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 significant other and I had been talking about marriage for some time, 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 getting married online. At first, I thought it was some kind of scam, 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 — even if you're in different countries. 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 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 without hassle.
• On our wedding day, we dressed up from the waist up, sent the Zoom link to our closest friends and family, 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 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 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.

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

Whether you're across the secret wedding street or across the ocean, you can make it official — and make it yours.