New Jersey Lawmakers Discuss Virtual Weddings & Marriage License Appointments in 2024

Want to apply for your marriage license from the comfort of your kitchen table, or say ‘I do’ over Zoom while friends and family members join in from afar? 

 

Couples in New Jersey might be able to take advantage of both of these exciting options soon, as lawmakers there reconsider legislation to allow remote marriage services and ceremonies.

 

The legislation being discussed includes a pair of carry over bills from last year’s session (Senate Bill 1165 and Assembly Bill 3082). They outline the requirements that couples, clerks, officiants, and witnesses would need to follow while using video-conference technology to issue a marriage or civil union license, or conduct a marriage ceremony.

 

If the bills become law, couples could have their marriage license meetings online, right from home. They would use a service similar to Zoom or Google Meet to meet with a licensing officer and submit their documents electronically –  saving time, energy, travel expenses.

 

Couples would also be able to have the officiant of their choice perform their marriage ceremony remotely from anywhere in the state, using audio-video services like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype. 

These changes to the law would also allow couples to plan elaborate virtual ceremonies in the metaverse and in custom-designed digital venues, provided all conditions are met and all parties are physically located in the state at the time of the ceremony. And wedding officiants would be able to add virtual wedding services to their business packages. 

 

Online weddings were previously allowed in New Jersey in the early days of the pandemic, when Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order that temporarily suspended in-person ceremony requirements. These virtual ceremonies became very popular, but were no longer available when the order ended in the spring of 2021. 

 

(See which states allow online marriage ceremonies.) 

 

This legislation would establish lasting provisions for online weddings and virtual licensing services, giving couples in New Jersey another fun and affordable alternative to traditional ceremonies. 

 

The Assembly bill’s primary sponsors are Representative Don Guardian [R] and Representative Annette Quijano [D]. 

 

• Read the full text of these bills here: New Jersey Assembly Bill 3082 / New Jersey Senate Bill 1165

 

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Why get married in a remote wedding ceremony? 

 

There are many practical and creative benefits to choosing a virtual wedding. 

 

On the practical side of things, online ceremonies can help counteract disruptions caused by Covid, flu, and other illnesses, and give vulnerable family members a way to stay safer when attending weddings and elopements during seasonal surges.

 

Online weddings and ‘hybrid weddings,’ in which some guests attend in-person while others attend remotely, also eliminate high travel costs for out-of-town guests, and difficulties booking lodging or venues.

 

These ceremonies offer an easy and affordable way for couples and their families to gather to celebrate marriage. This is especially beneficial for long-distance and international family members, or families on a tight budget.

 

For information on how to plan or officiate a creative and heartwarming online wedding ceremony:  

 

 

• How to Officiate a Virtual Wedding Like a Pro!

 

• Plan a Virtual Wedding Ceremony with Special Readings
   
• 5 Creative Unity Ceremony Ideas for Virtual Weddings
   
• The more the merrier! Why hybrid weddings are a good idea
   
• New ceremony script alert! A Virtual Wedding with Special Readings
   
• 3 Terms Every Officiant Should Know in the Virtual Wedding Era
   

 

Browse all Virtual Wedding Info & Inspiration

 

 

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You might also like: 

 

• How to Get Married in an Online Wedding Ceremony in Utah

 

• Interracial marriage protections are now codified in New Jersey law
   
• How to Get Married in New Jersey: Plan a Wedding in The Garden State
   

 

Browse all New Jersey Wedding Articles

 

 

Planning a New Jersey wedding? This short guide will help, with advice on how to find a wedding officiant, choose a venue, and apply for your NJ marriage license. Read the full article here. 

 

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