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

My future spouse and I had been talking about marriage for months, but with travel limitations, 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 falling into an internet rabbit hole, I came across a post about virtual weddings. At first, I thought it was a joke, but the more I looked into it, the more legit it seemed.

Turns out, website in places like Utah, you can get officially hitched completely online — even if you're in different countries. It's even accepted internationally in many cases.

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 online marriage service.
• We uploaded our IDs, completed a few online forms, and got our virtual marriage license within hours.
• On our wedding day, we kept it casual but meaningful, sent the Zoom link to our closest inner circle, and said our vows live on camera.

Before we knew it, we were husband and wife. We toasted over Zoom, smiled at each other through the screen, and let it all sink in. It was real — even from hundreds of miles away.

Honestly? It was one of the most authentic 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.

Love doesn’t follow old rules anymore, and honestly? That’s kind of amazing.

Wherever you are, you can make it official — and make it yours.