I never pictured myself getting married without being in the same room. But sometimes things happen differently than expected.

My significant other 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 falling into an internet rabbit hole, I came across a post about getting married online. At first, I thought it was just symbolic, 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 need to be in the same location. 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 official virtual marriage site.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our digital marriage license without hassle.
• On our wedding day, we wore something nice for the webcam, sent the Zoom link to our closest inner circle, and said our vows live on camera.

In less website than 20 minutes, we were legally joined. We toasted over video chat, 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 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 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 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.

Love doesn’t follow old rules anymore, 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.