8 things you must know before getting married online virtually
Getting married online has been hugely popular since the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s simple, affordable and easy to organise. If you are planning to go for an online wedding, make sure you are aware of the following 8 things about online marriages.
1. Is the online weddings legal?
Yes, it is now legally authorised to get married online through web-conference wedding ceremonies, which has been made legal in the USA since 2020. Please note that there are 3 steps to complete the legal registration of online weddings: (1) official marriage license has been issued. (2) a valid wedding ceremony (including virtual / video-conference ceremony) has taken place as required. (3) the marriage has been registered with the authorities properly. We will ensure all these steps are properly completed to ensure the legality of your wedding. Read more about the legality of online marriage and how to use your marriage certificate in other countries at Online Marriage for Legal and Immigration Purpose.
2. Can non-US citizens get married online?
Yes, there is no nationality restriction to get married online. We have had international couples from anywhere in the world getting married online. Most importantly, you can stay outside the USA while attending the online wedding through a video-conference. Please go to how to get married online legally for more details about the physical locations of brides and grooms during an online virtual wedding.
3. How do you do online weddings?
The first step we will do is to secure a Marriage License for the wedding. When an approval is obtained, we can schedule a virtual wedding ceremony with the officiant and get prepared for the online wedding. During the ceremony, the marriage couple, witnesses and the authorised officiant will show up in real-time together in a web-conference (it doesn’t take place with avatars in a virtual space but the participants present themselves!). The wedding officiant staying in the USA will host the online ceremony and verify the identities of the marrying parties to ensure all legal requirements are met. Please see how online weddings are performed for more details.
4. My partner and I are staying apart in different countries. Can we still get married online legally?
Absolutely, a couple can be in separate physical locations when attending the wedding ceremony.
5. How is online wedding (web-conference wedding) different from proxy wedding and destination wedding?
In a web-conference (online) wedding, all participants represent themselves and they visually appear before an officiant and witnesses. In a proxy marriage, another person represents an absent participant. For destination weddings, the couple travels to another country physically to get married. We only help our couples get married through web-conference (online) wedding.
6. Can same-sex couples get married online?
Yes, the US online wedding is LGBT friendly. Same-sex couples are welcome to get married online!
7. How do you sign marriage certificates in an online wedding?
The marriage certificate will be signed digitally. Digital signatures are as legally binding as paper signatures.
8. Will the marriage certificate of online weddings qualify for international public-document certifications such as Apostille?
The marriage certificate is eligible for apostille certification, which is an international authentication for public documents as governed by a treaty drafted by Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). The Apostille Convention specifies the modalities through which an official seal on a document, issued in one contracting country / party, can be certified for legal purposes in all the other contracting countries / parties.
