Don't Get Married Online Until You Read This
Every week, couples decide to get married online — and every week, some of them make mistakes that cost them dearly.
No mistakes in their relationship. Mistakes in their paperwork.
We are talking about couples who thought they were legally married online, only to find out months later — sometimes at a visa office, sometimes at a hospital, sometimes during a family emergency — that their marriage was never legally valid.
It is one of the most heartbreaking situations we deal with at Distant Weddings. And almost every single time, it was completely avoidable.
This post lays out the five most common reasons online marriages get legally invalidated — and exactly what to do to make sure yours is airtight.
Want to Get Married Online? These 5 Mistakes Could Void Your Marriage
Before you book an officiant, pay for a package, or fill out a single form — read this.
The online wedding industry has exploded since 2020. That is mostly a good thing. But it has also created a flood of services that are happy to take your money without making sure your marriage will actually hold up in court, at a consulate, or anywhere else that matters.
At Distant Weddings, legal validity is not optional — it is the whole point. So here are the five things that most commonly go wrong.
Mistake #1 — Using a Jurisdiction That Doesn't Allow Remote Marriages
This is the most common mistake — and the most expensive one to fix.
Not every U.S. state, Canadian province, or country allows couples to get married online with full remote solemnization. Some require at least one partner to appear in person. Some require both. Some have temporary remote provisions that have since expired.
When couples skip the research and just Google "how to get married online," they sometimes land on services that operate in jurisdictions where remote marriage is not actually permitted — or was permitted temporarily and no longer is.
Your marriage license might look real. Your ceremony might feel real. But if the jurisdiction doesn't legally authorize remote solemnization, your marriage certificate won't be recognized where it counts.
What Distant Weddings does differently: We only operate within jurisdictions that currently authorize remote marriages — like Utah and Colorado in the United States, and select Canadian provinces. We monitor legal changes so you are never placed in an outdated pathway.
Mistake #2 — Working With an Officiant Who Isn't Properly Licensed
This one surprises people. They assume that if someone is performing a ceremony and charging money for it, they must be legally authorized to do so.
That is not always true.
To perform a legally valid marriage — online or in person — an officiant must be licensed or ordained in a way that is recognized by the specific jurisdiction where the marriage is being registered. A universal life church ordination might work in one state and mean absolutely nothing in another. An officiant who is "certified" by a private website may have zero legal standing.
We have seen couples complete beautiful ceremonies via video call, only to discover that their officiant's credentials were not accepted when they tried to register the marriage.
What Distant Weddings does differently: Every officiant in our network is verified for the specific jurisdiction where your marriage will be registered. We don't cross lines or guess — we confirm before your ceremony is scheduled.
Mistake #3 — Filing the Wrong Marriage License (or Skipping It Entirely)
Here is a hard truth: the ceremony is not the legal marriage. The license is.
A ceremony without a valid marriage license is just a nice video call. To be legally married online, you need a marriage license issued by the correct authority — before the ceremony takes place.
The mistakes people make here include:
- Applying for a license in the wrong county or state
- Missing the window between license issuance and ceremony (some licenses expire in as little as 10 days)
- Submitting incomplete information that causes the application to be rejected
- Skipping the license entirely because a website told them it "wasn't necessary."
Once your ceremony happens without a valid license, you generally cannot go back and fix it. You would need to start the entire process over.
What Distant Weddings does differently: We handle the marriage license process with you from start to finish. We know the deadlines, the document requirements, and the filing procedures for every jurisdiction we serve.
Mistake #4 — Not Having the Right Witnesses (Or Any at All)
Most jurisdictions that allow couples to get married online still require witnesses. The number varies — usually one or two — and their role is more than ceremonial. Witnesses confirm that the marriage took place as described, and their signatures are part of the legal record.
Where online weddings fall apart on this point:
- Witnesses join the video call but are never formally identified or documented
- The wrong number of witnesses is present
- Witnesses are under 18 (prohibited in most jurisdictions)
- Witnesses don't sign the required documentation after the ceremony
Some people don't realize that their witnesses may also need to submit paperwork separately — especially in jurisdictions that require physical signatures or notarized documents.
What Distant Weddings does differently: We brief every couple and their witnesses on exactly what is required before the ceremony begins. No one shows up unprepared. No signatures get missed.
Mistake #5 — Choosing a "Marriage Certificate" Service Instead of a Legal Marriage Service
This is the most deceptive trap in the entire online wedding space — and it catches thousands of couples every year.
Some websites offer "official-looking" marriage certificates for a small fee. They may come with gold seals, embossed paper, registry numbers, and very official language. They are designed to look legitimate.
They are not.
These are novelty certificates. They carry no legal weight. They will not be accepted by immigration authorities, government agencies, banks, hospitals, insurance companies, or any institution that requires proof of a legally valid marriage.
The difference between a real legal online marriage and a novelty certificate often comes down to one thing: whether a real government authority issued the license and recorded the marriage.
What Distant Weddings does differently: We only facilitate marriages that go through official government channels. Every couple we serve receives a government-issued marriage certificate — the kind that is recognized in the real world.
What a Legally Valid Online Wedding Actually Looks Like
When the process is done correctly, getting married online is straightforward, fast, and fully legal. Here is what it looks like when it works:
- Jurisdiction check — Your situation is reviewed to find the legal path that works for you
- Marriage license application — Filed officially with the correct authority
- Officiant verification — A licensed, jurisdiction-authorized officiant is assigned
- Ceremony via video call — Conducted with properly identified and documented witnesses
- Certificate filing — The marriage is officially registered with the government
- Certified copy delivery — You receive your official marriage certificate
At Distant Weddings, this entire process typically takes 3 to 7 days. Couples in over 40 countries have used our service to legally get married online — with zero surprises on the back end.
Why Get Married Online With Distant Weddings?
You could try to navigate this alone. Some people do.
But the five mistakes above — wrong jurisdiction, unlicensed officiant, missing license, witness errors, novelty certificates — are not obscure edge cases. They are the most common outcomes when couples use unverified services or try to DIY their online wedding.
Distant Weddings exists to make sure none of that happens to you.
- Legal expertise across 40+ countries and jurisdictions
- Verified, licensed officiants for every ceremony
- Complete marriage license handling
- Step-by-step witness guidance
- Government-issued certificates only
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
- A real human coordinator — not a chatbot
Whether you are a long-distance couple, an expat, a military family, or simply someone who wants a legal marriage without the circus of a traditional wedding, Distant Weddings makes getting married online simple, legal, and real.
Conclusion: Get Married Online — But Do It Right
The ability to get married online is one of the most meaningful legal changes of the past decade for couples around the world. It removes geography. It cuts through bureaucracy. It puts your love story on your timeline.
But "online marriage" is only as powerful as its legal foundation. A beautiful ceremony with a worthless certificate helps no one.
The five mistakes in this post are not rare — they happen every week, to real couples, with real consequences. The good news is they are all 100% avoidable when you work with people who know what they are doing.
That is what Distant Weddings is here for.
Book your free consultation today and find out exactly how to get legally married online — the right way, the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can I really get married online and have it be legally valid?
Yes — in many jurisdictions, you can be fully legally married online through a video ceremony. The key is choosing a jurisdiction that authorizes remote solemnization and working with a verified service like Distant Weddings to ensure all legal requirements are met.
Q2: What makes an online marriage legally valid?
A legal online marriage requires: a valid marriage license issued by the correct authority, a licensed officiant recognized by that jurisdiction, the required number of witnesses, and proper filing of the marriage record. Distant Weddings handles all of these steps.
Q3: How do I know if the jurisdiction I choose allows online weddings?
This is exactly the kind of question Distant Weddings answers in your free consultation. Jurisdiction laws change regularly — what was allowed last year may not be this year, and vice versa. We track these changes so you don't have to.
Q4: Will my online marriage be recognized in my home country?
In most cases, yes — if the marriage is legally performed in a recognized jurisdiction and the proper documentation is issued. Specific recognition rules vary by country, and Distant Weddings reviews your individual situation before you commit to any pathway.
Q5: What is the difference between a legal marriage certificate and a novelty certificate?
A legal marriage certificate is issued by a government authority following an officially registered ceremony. A novelty certificate is a decorative document with no legal standing, sold by private websites. Only a government-issued certificate will be recognized by immigration offices, banks, hospitals, and other institutions.
Q6: How long does the online wedding process take with Distant Weddings?
Most couples complete the process in 3 to 7 days, including license application, ceremony, and certified certificate delivery. Rush timelines may be available in select jurisdictions — ask during your free consultation.
Q7: Do both partners need to be in the same location to get married online?
No. This is one of the biggest advantages of an online wedding. Partners can be in different cities, countries, or continents and still legally marry via video call through the right jurisdiction. Distant Weddings specializes in exactly these situations.
Q8: What if my previous marriage wasn't legally dissolved? Can I still get married online?
No jurisdiction will legally marry someone who is still legally married to someone else. If you have a prior marriage, you will need documentation showing it was legally dissolved (divorce decree or death certificate) before proceeding. Distant Weddings can help you understand what documentation is required.
Q9: Is Distant Weddings a government agency?
Distant Weddings is a professional coordination service — not a government agency. We work within official government systems to guide couples through the legal online marriage process, ensuring every step meets the requirements of the relevant jurisdiction.
Q10: How much does it cost to get legally married online through Distant Weddings?
Pricing depends on your jurisdiction, timeline, and specific needs. Distant Weddings offers a free initial consultation with full pricing transparency before any payment is required.
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