Is it Legal to Get a Marriage Certificate Online?

Can you get married on the internet and receive a marriage certificate online?

Everything is available online, from clothes to shoes and even cars. However, a recent addition to the online world is a legal marriage certificate.

Yes! Now you can get married online, within the comfort of your home. You and your spouse-to-be don’t need to be present in the same room or country. All you need is an internet connection and a device through which your wedding officiant can see you and your partner.

Couples are choosing online marriages thanks to the multitude of benefits they offer. For example, cost-effectiveness and convenience. Today, getting married online is a growing trend where an online wedding service schedules a ceremony. Both parties can join in through video call to meet their wedding officiant. The couple receives a marriage certificate once the ceremony is over.

How to Get Married Online

Getting married online is simple. The online wedding ceremony is hosted on a video call, and the couple can receive a valid certificate once the ceremony is over. Couples also receive a hard copy of their marriage certificate, which they can use as a legal document to prove their married status.

How to Get a Marriage Certificate Online

A marriage certificate is a legal document that validates your marriage. This document is a critical factor affecting how you use your name in other legal documents.

When you get married online, you can complete the entire application online. You can still get married online even if you and your spouse are on opposite sides of the world or in the same room. As long as the wedding officiant can see both partners virtually, then all the requirements are fulfilled.

Obtaining a valid U.S. marriage certificate through an online marriage only requires the completion of electronic paperwork. In most cases, you can receive this document within 48 hours.

Getting Married Online in Utah

Before Covid-19, laws governing the legality of online marriages and officiants were stringent. The couple and the officiant had to be present in person for marriage to be legal. However, as the pandemic worsened and social isolation became a norm, state officials started probing the benefits of legalizing online marriages.

The Utah County information technology departments and the Utah County marriage license office began a year-long effort in 2019 to create a fully digital marriage license issuance process. By January 2020, couples could perform the ceremony, apply for a marriage license, and have the officiant submit the documentation for the marriage certificate, all online. Thanks to this Utah online marriage procedure, the couple doesn’t have to visit the office physically to obtain the marriage certificate.

But the best part is that anyone can get legally married online, even if they are not a resident of Utah. That is because Marriages lawfully performed in one state are recognized nationwide if they do not break federal or state laws. Consequently, the couple can apply for and receive a U.S. Marriage Certificate.

Online marriage is legal in Utah, but the rules may vary depending on where the marriage license is registered. The ceremony can occur entirely online, through a video call on Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc.

Benefits of Having an Online Wedding

An online wedding also allows a couple to enjoy a truly unique experience. They don’t have to worry about the venue’s appearance or what food or souvenirs they should provide their guests.

The event is more about the couple than the people attending the ceremony. That means the couple can customize it according to their preferences, which is rarely the case with a generic wedding ceremony. You can make your wedding as unique and memorable as possible by wearing special outfits or choosing a venue that has a personal connection.

Here are some more benefits.

Enjoy a private and virtual ceremony in your home or a popular destination. Just make sure you have a stable internet connection.
The process is quick, as the ceremony can take less than five minutes.
Scheduling an online wedding ceremony means avoiding the high costs of traditional weddings—no need to book a venue and entertain hundreds of guests.

Schedule an Online Wedding with Distant Weddings

Distant Weddings is a premium online wedding service. We are on a mission to help people worldwide search for a practical and cost-effective way to get married.

You can benefit from our online wedding service if you are:

18 years or older
Not divorced for the past sixty days

Choose a date and time, and Distant Weddings will match you with one of their U.S. officiants from a legally certified network.

The entire procedure and certification are the same as for a traditional wedding. The ceremony takes place under an officiant from the state who will conduct the marriage online and authenticate the wedding ceremony.

Every couple can have their marriage certificate authenticated and legitimized by an apostille.

Let Distant Weddings handle your online marriage. We have married over 1000 couples. Utah issues the marriage certificate, which is valid and recognized in all 50 states. In addition, all couples receive an online certificate that validates their marriage.

Final Thoughts

If you want to know more about how to get married online and receive an online certificate, get in touch with us. Our service welcomes people of all religions, cultures, and sexualities. From military to civil and even same-sex marriages, we can perform the ceremony for you, no matter where you are. Once the ceremony is completed, we will send an original paper-certified copy of your marriage certificate.