Illinois allows Zoom wedding ceremonies, and they’re letting couples file for licenses online too!

Virtual weddings (Zoom, Skype, Facetime ect.) are now allowed in three states in the US, suggesting that a paradigm shift in the wedding industry may be underway. Starting May 1, 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued an order giving couples the right to apply for their marriage licenses and solemnize their marriages via video conference. While only the third state to explicitly allow such wedding ceremonies, the tide is clearly turning and wedding officiants would do well to begin preparing themselves for this brave new world of virtual weddings and digital love!

The State of Illinois will now allow couples to get married utilizing two-way audio-video communication technology (Zoom, Skype, and other video conferencing platforms). But they have issued requirements to ensure that a proper ceremony still takes place that meets the state’s legal requirements.

During the ceremony, couples must still interact with their officiant in real time, which means no pre-recorded “I do’s.  The couple must also show photo identification and attest to being physically present in the state. That means no destination weddings, unless your idea of a destination is Peoria...

The order, issued by the state’s governor JB Pritzker also lifts the requirement that couples apply for their marriage license in person. 

Illinois governor JB Pritzker

Under the new guidelines, couples may appear before the county clerk using two-way audio-video communication technology “as long as the two-way audio-video communication technology allows for direct interaction between the couple and the county clerk.” 

And in order to ensure that the names match the license and are verified, the couple must still present valid photo identification to verify their identity, and whenever required by law and the couple must attest to being physically situated in the jurisdiction where the marriage is legally allowed to occur within the State of Illinois.

For more details, visit our Illinois State wedding information page where we have posted the details of the new order. It’s important to keep watching this space for more announcements.