Can You Get Married Online? 2024-2025 Updates to Know

Can you get married online? What to know about online marriage laws in 2024 and 2025

Online weddings became popular during the early 2020s as a legal alternative to traditional wedding ceremonies, but can you still get legally married online in the U.S. today? Let’s take a look!

Ask AMM: Can I get married online?

 

Yes, you can get married online in 2024 / 2025, but you must follow certain guidelines for your marriage to be legal. We explain these important guidelines below in more detail, with links to important resources to help you get started.

 

Keep reading to learn how to get married online, including where to apply for your marriage license before your virtual wedding ceremony! (Photo: Kanawa_Studio / iStock)

 

 

First, some history: Getting married online became popular in the early 2020s out of necessity

 

Why did online weddings become popular so quickly? Virtual weddings entered the lexicon in 2020, when temporary laws and executive orders were passed during the coronavirus pandemic that allowed couples to marry without appearing in person in front of a wedding officiant.

 

These temporary laws allowed couples in several states (and around the world) to marry remotely using video-conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype. Suddenly, couples could get married with a U.S. marriage license from anywhere in the world, which provided unique opportunities for military couples, disabled couples, and international couples, as well as LGBTQ+ and interfaith couples who could not legally marry in their home countries. It was a revolutionary time for the wedding industry, as virtual meeting rooms transformed from stuffy online offices into unlikely wedding venues. 

 

But as the emergency period of the pandemic ended, almost all of these temporary laws and executive orders also ended. In most places, this meant that couples once again needed to appear in person in front of an officiant to get married. Notice that we said ‘most places’! 

 

Although most of these temporary allowances ended, one state continues to offer virtual marriage ceremonies…

 

That state is Utah! We’ll explain how online weddings work in Utah in the section below.

 

Getting married online is a simple process once you know where to apply for your marriage license and who can officiate your virtual wedding. Use the resources below to learn more about getting married online in Utah with the help of a Utah wedding officiant and the Utah County Clerk's Office! (Photo: NickyLloyd / iStock)

 

 

Virtual Wedding: How to get married online in every state in 2024 and 2025

 

At the time of writing, Utah is the only U.S. state or territory that still allows online weddings, made possible by the Utah County Clerk Office. But couples in any state can get married online using Utah County’s virtual marriage services.

 

This means that no matter which state you live in – Texas, Hawaii, New York, you name it – you can get married online easily using Utah County’s online marriage services. Technically, your marriage license will be from Utah, and your wedding officiant must be physically located in Utah during the ceremony. But you and your partner can attend the ceremony and take your vows from any state, or any country!

 

This online marriage option is completely legal, thanks to the continued hard work of the Utah County Clerk’s Office and knowledgeable Utah wedding officiants. 

 

In 2024, several updates to Utah’s online marriage laws went into effect to make online weddings safer and more secure. For example, Power of Attorney can not be used to obtain a marriage license, and couples must sign an affidavit agreeing to personal jurisdiction in Utah if they divorce or annul their marriage. These changes went into effect in May of 2024. 

 

Click the links below to learn more about how to get married online from anywhere in the world, using Utah County’s virtual marriage services: 

 

• How to Get Married in Utah Online (Virtual Wedding in Utah)
• For Officiants: How to Officiate a Remote Wedding Ceremony in Utah
• Get Ordained Online to perform weddings in Utah

 

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Get Ordained Online to Perform Weddings: Become a Wedding Officiant with AMM!

 

Get ordained online free with AMM and learn how to become a wedding officiant for friends and relatives! 

|* custom-button, "https://theamm.org/ordination-application", "ORDAINED MINISTER ONLINE APPLICATION" *|

Why AMM? American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive nondenominational internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and help people from all backgrounds and beliefs become ordained ministers for weddings. Our online ordination is free, accessible, and never expire.

 

Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime.

AMM Ministers can legally officiate weddings in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). After getting ordained with AMM, you might need to register your ordination with your local county clerk’s office. Click the link above to get started! 

 

 

Become an ordained minister online with American Marriage Ministries and officiate wedding for friends and relatives. (Photo: Anchiy / iStock)

 

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You might also like: 
 

• How Much Does it Cost to Get Ordained Online in Utah?

 

• A Virtual Wedding Ceremony Script with Special Readings
   
• Officiate a Virtual Wedding Like a Pro!

 

Browse Online Wedding Ideas & Advice
 

Online weddings require special attention from officiants that other types of ceremonies don’t. Officiate a virtual ceremony like a pro! Click the link above to read the full article.

 

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