I never pictured myself getting married through a screen. But that’s exactly what we ended up doing, and it was incredible.

My partner and I had been talking about marriage for months, but with living in different states, planning a traditional wedding felt overwhelming. We weren’t even sure when we’d be in the same place long enough to make it official.

One night, while browsing forums, I came across a post about virtual weddings. At first, I thought it was just symbolic, but the more I looked into it, the more legit it seemed.

Turns out, in places like Utah, you can more info get officially hitched completely online — even if you're in different countries. It's recognized in all 50 states.

We decided to go for it. Why wait?

Here’s what the process looked like for us:

• We secured a time with a licensed officiant through an official virtual marriage site.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our digital marriage license approved quickly.
• On our wedding day, we dressed up from the waist up, sent the Zoom link to our closest friends and family, and said our vows live on camera.

In less than 20 minutes, we were legally joined. We toasted over video chat, smiled at each other through the screen, and let it all sink in. It was beautiful — even from hundreds of miles away.

Honestly? It was one of the most intimate experiences we could’ve asked for. No overpriced venue. No awkward seating charts. Just us, the copyright we meant, and a handful of people who love us cheering from their screens.

If you’re trying to simplify your wedding plans, I highly recommend looking into online marriage. It's an option more people should consider — especially if you're in the military.

You don’t have to wait for a perfect moment or a perfect venue. You just need someone you love, a decent Wi-Fi signal, and a little bit of paperwork.

Modern love looks different, and honestly? That’s kind of amazing.

No matter the distance, you can make it official — and make it yours.