Utah Remote Marriage Ceremony Requirements

UTAH ONLINE WEDDING CEREMONY

Online weddings are legal in Utah, but couples must apply for their marriage license in a participating county. Currently, Utah County is the primary location for obtaining a remote marriage license. A Utah County marriage license is available to everyone, not just Utah County residents, and couples can apply for their license online from anywhere in the world. The ceremony is also performed fully-remotely – which means that the minister, couple, witnesses, and guests can all attend the event using video conference technology like Zoom, Google Meet, or Facetime. The completed license is submitted digitally following the ceremony.

 

UT REMOTE MARRIAGE CEREMONY REQUIREMENTS

There are special legal requirements for Utah’s remote marriage ceremonies that you should be aware of as the couple’s officiant (Utah Code § 81-2-302): 

 

• As the wedding officiant, you must be physically located within the State of Utah while the ceremony takes place. 
• You must be the designated “host” of the video conference, and your location will be recorded on the marriage license. 
• You must verify the couple’s identities and the identities of their two witnesses during the “pre-ceremony business” portion of your video call, before the ceremony begins.
• As of May 2026, you must give a simple verbal warning to the couple before the ceremony begins, using these specific words, as stated on the Utah County Online Marriage Application page: 

“A marriage solemnized according to the laws of the State of Utah through online remote appearance may be invalid in the country where the parties to the marriage reside.”

• As of May 2024, you must include a verbal 'declaration of intent’ during the wedding ceremony. This means you must clearly ask the couple if they want to get married, and they must clearly answer yes (or ‘I do’, ‘we do’). 
• Both parties to the marriage and their witnesses must appear for the ceremony, and be able to participate in real-time (audio and video). However, these individuals can join your video conference from any physical location.

 

Contact your County Clerk's Office for the latest legal information.

 

Find more details in AMM’s American Weddings blog: 

 

• How to Officiate a Remote Wedding Ceremony in Utah
• How to Get Married in an Online Wedding Ceremony in Utah

 

 

COMPLETING A UT MARRIAGE LICENSE FOR A REMOTE CEREMONY

When a couple applies for their marriage license using Utah County’s online portal, their marriage license is issued electronically (as a digital marriage license) and takes the form of a unique URL for that couple. This unique URL is sent to the couple after they apply for the license, and they must send it to you before the ceremony to verify. 

 

After performing the ceremony, you will use this unique URL to complete and file the marriage license.

 

Once that's done, you have successfully completed your job as the officiant.
 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information, contact your local County Clerk's Office or reach out directly to Utah County for information regarding online wedding ceremonies.

 

Utah County Guidelines

 

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 Utah 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 Utah to celebrate.

 

Virtual Wedding vs. Livestream Wedding Ceremony in Utah

 

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.)

 

How to livestream your wedding in Utah

 

You can livestream any activity or event, and it doesn't matter where you are in Utah, 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