Virtual: Is it Legit?

The process of remote appearance marriage ceremonies is perfectly legitimate and recognized as legally valid throughout the United States of America and all of its territories; and once Apostilled is to be recognized internationally as valid. My understanding is that the only way any government can claim the marriage invalid is if it specifically states in that country’s governing law regarding marriages that it must be performed with clergy in-person. Some people get stuck on the words “online marriage” or “virtual wedding”, which is why it is generally best to refer to them as “remote appearance marriage ceremonies”.

There is no residency requirement here in the state of Utah to be able to get married. You DO NOT have to be a resident of Utah (or even the United States) to be legally married in Utah. People fly into Utah from all around the world for a “destination wedding” all the time and, since virtual became a viable possibility, several thousand couples each year have had their remote appearance virtual weddings performed by obtaining a marriage license through the Utah County Clerk’s office. In short, these couples have chosen to join me, at my location, for a ceremony; technology just replaced travel. Additionally, the marriage licenses for in-person and remote appearance wedding ceremonies look exactly the same, so there is no definable discrepancy as to how or where the ceremony took place.

Here is the wording directly from the Utah County Clerk’s office:

“Our office’s official position, which is one of the many answers on our FAQ page (https://www.utahcounty.gov/dept/clerkaud/PassMarr/marriageFAQ.asp) is:

The Utah County Marriage License Office cannot and does not provide legal advice in the areas of immigration or international marriage law.
While remote appearance ceremonies that are hosted by an individual in the state of Utah are legal according to Utah law, their acceptance by foreign governments or immigration officials is beyond our control.
Contact the officials in your jurisdiction or an immigration or family law attorney to determine the legal status of your remote appearance wedding and any additional steps or documents you may need for recognition.”

As a Minister, I provide such additional documentation for you. Please see my “Apostille & Other Docs” blog post for detailed information.