Washington, DC Remote Marriage Ceremony Requirements
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in Washington, DC, check out our page Get Ordained in Washington, DC.
If you are planning to officiate a wedding in Washington, DC, check out our page Get Ordained in Washington, DC.
If you want to get married online in DC, using video conference technology (like Zoom, Google Meet, video chat, etc), you have a two options.
First, the DC Marriage Bureau offers virtual civil ceremonies, hosted through the District of Columbia Courts. These marriage ceremonies are performed remotely by an authorized court official using a DC marriage license, and can be scheduled by contacting The Marriage Bureau.
Second, consider applying for your marriage license through the Utah County marriage bureau instead, located in Utah State: How to Get Married in an Online Wedding Ceremony in Utah. Utah County provides a unique service that allows couples to get married by a Utah wedding officiant from anywhere in the world, including from your living room in DC! (Please note that your marriage license and marriage officiant will be based in Utah if you choose this option.)
As of June 2026, these are the only two options for a couple located in DC to get married online. Otherwise, both parties to the marriage and their wedding officiant (if the couple is not self-uniting) must be physically present in the District of Columbia during the wedding and when completing their DC marriage certificate.
You can begin the DC Marriage License Application process online. However, you may be required to visit the Marriage Bureau in person to provide proof of age and identity, and to receive your license.
In general, it's often faster to visit the office in person to submit your application. Please call ahead to see if an appointment is required.
See more DC Marriage License information here:
Ministers must register with the Superior Court before performing marriage in DC, but the Marriage Bureau's officiant registration process can be completed online. An application form must be completed and notarized, then emailed to the Marriage Bureau.
See more DC Wedding Officiant steps here, including links to the DC Officiant Application:
Need more info about self-uniting ceremonies, or how to officiate a wedding in DC? The following resources can help:
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 Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC, 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:
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