New York Remote Marriage Ceremony Requirements
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in New York, check out our page Get Ordained in New York.
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in New York, check out our page Get Ordained in New York.
Virtual ceremonies are no longer permitted in New York since the governor's temporary executive order ended in June. However, some city and county clerk's offices are still allowing online applications for marriage licenses and appointments (e.g. Project Cupid).
New York is fully reopened, however, some government offices will have limited hours or be open to online appointments only. Masks and proof of vaccination will be required for indoor gatherings.
At the moment, some Local Registrars in New York are still operating with modified schedules - please plan accordingly. Couples can temporarily apply for a marriage license online or in-person in New York. However, licensing requirements have not changed, and online applicants must show physical copies of ID over videoconference, for visual verification. Couples should contact their Local Registrar's Office to schedule an appointment, whether they plan to apply online or in-person.
In New York City, ministers are required to register with the City Clerk's Marriage Bureau before performing marriage. Officiants are able to apply in-person by appointment only.
For more information, contact your Local Registrar. You can review New York's policy order here:
NYC Marriage Bureau FAQ (August 2021)
Online weddings, livestream weddings, and small in-person guest lists have become a normal part of life, but it wasn't always this way! During the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology was new and evolved quickly, because the only way for many guests to attend a wedding to join remotely using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
If you're considering an online wedding, a tiny elopement with just you and your officiant, or even a 'just us' elopement, remember that New York marriage laws regulate who must be in attendance at your ceremony, and how the ceremony is conducted. Here are some options to help adapt your wedding plans in New York to celebrate.
For the sake of clarity, we differentiate between a virtual wedding and a livestream wedding by who is in attendance and how they are conducted:
If the wedding officiant and couple are in separate physical locations, and the officiant performs the ceremony over video-conference technology (like Zoom, Google Meet, etc), then we call that a "virtual wedding." You might also hear it called a "Zoom wedding," "online wedding," or "remote marriage ceremony." Guests may or may not attend these ceremonies (either seated around the couple or joining remotely as well), depending on the couple's preferences.
If the couple and the wedding officiant are in the same physical location during the ceremony, but some or all of the guests are watching the wedding remotely (online), we call that a livestream wedding. You may also hear this referred to as a "hybrid wedding." In this case, the marriage ceremony itself is happening in one physical place, and it's being livestreamed out to guests.
You can read more about what distinguishes each option here.
(Keep in mind that metaverse weddings and getting married in a video game are a separate category of tech-wedding altogether, and are strictly symbolic. They must be combined with a traditional ceremony to meet legal requirements.)
You can livestream any activity or event, and it doesn't matter where you are in New York, what you're doing or how many people are physically present with you. Some of the most popular platforms include Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live.
If you want to host your own livestream, all you really need is a tripod and a phone with a good camera on it; your guests will be able to participate remotely and enjoy every part of your ceremony. Most platforms allow guests to comment, chat, react, and interact in a number of ways.
Many wedding professionals have also expanded their offerings in recent years to include wedding livestreaming services. For some couples, having a professional videographer or wedding content creator running things is well worth the extra money.
Both virtual weddings and livestream weddings are a creative way to have friends and family join the ceremony at no cost from anywhere in the world. For many couples, this technology has completely changed the way they celebrate love!
Ready for more online wedding inspiration? Check out:
A Virtual Wedding Ceremony Script with Special Readings
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