Frequently asked questions

Are these marriages legally recognized in the United States and in other countries?

If all the outlined requirements are met, the marriage is legal according to Utah state law and therefore throughout the United States. The marriage certificates issued by Utah County are the same whether the wedding was done in person or online.

Other countries officially accept and recogize marriages performed in the United States by what is called the apostille process. The apostille process is a form of international document certification used to verify the authenticity of public documents so they can be legally recognized in another country. Apostilling simplifies the process of document legalization between countries that are contracting parties to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. (Over 100 countries are contracting parties but you should verify that your country is a contracting party.) Many couples living in Spain have successfully had their online marriages apostilled.

IMPORTANT - obtaining a marriage certificate and an apostille document from Utah County are necessary but only preliminary steps in gaining legal recognition of the marriage outside of the United States. Couples must then pay fees and meet the requirements of their domestic country's government to complete the process. Many couples elect to use a local attorney or notary to help them.

Does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept these weddings to be valid?

Yes. Persons married online through the Utah County program are married as far as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned. The Church does not require that the marriage be apostilled.

How does a Utah online wedding work?

There are three steps: 1) the marriage license must be obtained; and 2) the wedding ceremony must be performed by an officiant licensed and authorized by the State of Utah. The wedding is generally performed via Zoom. The marrying couple, at least two witnesses, and the officiant all need to see and be seen, hear and be heard by each other in real time (which can be online.) The officiant must be physically present in the state of Utah during the ceremony. Finally, 3) the officiant files the required wedding information with Utah County and certifies that all legal requirements were met. Utah County then emails the couple a digital marriage certificate. Utah County then mails an official marriage certificate document to the couple at the mailing address they provided when filling out the marriage license application.

Can it be done completely online?

The entire process can be completed online, signed digitally and paid with a debit/credit card. The system uses third-party identification software to verify the names, dates of birth, and identities of the marrying individuals. The state of Utah has no residency or citizenship requirements for marriage licenses.

What documentation is required to get a marriage license?

Each applicant must upload a government-issued photo ID that clearly shows their name and date of birth. The online system can automatically verify most driver’s licenses and passports. The marriage candidates will be asked to upload pictures of their ID and a photograph. These documents will be manually verified by Utah government officials when processing the order.

How much does it cost?

There are three factors that determine the cost, two mandatory and one optional. Mandatory: 1) obtaining the marriage licence and 2) performing the wedding ceremony by an authorized officiant. Optional: obtaining an apostille document needed if the couple wants to have the marriage legally recognized outside the United States.

Skep Foundation assists couples in their native language to complete the steps necessary to get married online and obtain the official documents they need to substantiate their marriage. Here are the services provided by Skep and donations needed to enable Skep to do so:

1) Obtain a marriage license: Skep answers the couples' questions and helps them resolve common difficulties such as uploading id documents, correcting spelling and information errors, communicating with Utah County on behalf of the couple, and paying the marriage license fee on behalf of the couple. Donation needed: $150

2) Perform the wedding ceremony and submit required documention to Utah County: Skep finds an officiant who speaks the couple's language and puts the officiant in contact with the couple to arrange the date, time, and details of the wedding. After the officiant performs the wedding ceremony and submits all required documentation to Utah County, Skep pays the officiant. Donation needed: $70

3) Request an apostille document for the couple: Skep requests and pays the fee for the apostille document from the State of Utah through Utah County. Donation needed (if done at the same time as the marriage license is issued): $35. If done after the marriage license is issued: $60

Donations to Skep Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, can be made using this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/f216255e-6e6b-4ae3-87e8-45baea84bcc9

NOTE: As an alternative to using Skep's services, couples can "do-it-yourself" by going to Utah County's website and completing all required steps. Utah County currently charges $185.13 USD for the marriage license and an online, generic wedding ceremony performed by a county clerk with firm 30 minute time slots scheduled by appointment up to 30 days in advance. Any difficulties with documention, ids, etc. must be resolved by the couple by communicating directly with Utah County. The wedding ceremony is generally performed in English and all correspondence is in English. Utah County charges $44 plus a shipping charge if the couple wants to obtain an apostille document.

Who can help interested couples complete the online process and make the payments?

Skep Foundation (https://skepfoundation.org/) is a charitable organization that was originally formed to help Africans gain the training and skills they need to become self-reliant and provide for their families. That purpose has been expanded to help couples form stable families by getting married legally. Skep provides support to committed couples to complete the online marriage process and make the required payments. Creating a legal marriage is valuable to the family involved, therefore Skep always asks the couple to pay as much of the cost as they can. If you would like to assist a needy couple to pay the cost of their online marriage, you can make a tax-deductible donation to Skep Foundation on its website. If you have questions, please contact leon@skepfoundation.org or call +1 480 202 4008

How quickly can the wedding happen?

It takes about an hour to complete the online marriage license application and to upload the photo ids. Once the donation to Skep Foundation has been made, the wedding generally can be scheduled to be held within 3 to 5 days. (Note that once the online marriage license application is begun, the license fee must be paid within a couple of weeks or else Utah County will delete the application for inactivity. Also, once the marriage license is issued, the wedding ceremony must be completed within 32 days or the license will expire.)

Does Utah County issue marriage certificate and how does the couple receive it?

Yes, Utah County will print and issue an actual marriage certificate on official letterhead that will be mailed by Utah County to the address indicated by the couple within a few days after the officiant submits the final paperwork to Utah County documenting the completion of the wedding ceremony. The marriage certificate issued for online weddings is identical in wording and appearance to those produced for in-person weddings.

Does the couple have any input into how the Skep Foundation wedding ceremony is conducted?

Yes. After the marriage license is issued, an officiant will be selected to perform the ceremony and file the required paperwork with the State of Utah to make the marriage official. The bride and groom will communicate with the officiant to express their wishes regarding the exchange of vows, rings, dates, times, and other wedding details. Within the legal limitations set by Utah County, the officiant will generally be able to conduct the ceremony in a manner that pleases the couple.

Is it possible to get a divorce or annullment after an online wedding?

It is very, very difficult and expensive to get a divorce or annulment of an online marriage through Utah County. Unless at least one of the marriage partners has physical residence in the state of Utah for at least 90 days it might not even be possible. Therefore, Skep strongly encourages couples not to proceed with an online marriage unless they are very knowledgeable about their fiancé and completely committed to remaining married after the ceremony has been performed.

Steps for a Skep-assisted online marriage

Step 1

Complete the online marriage license application including the uploading of your government-issued photo ids. Click here to start.

Step 2

After you have completed the online application as best you can, email the URL of your application to leon@skepfoundation.org. Also include in that email your whatsapp or phone number so that Skep can review the application for any obvious errors or omissions and contact you to complete any missing or next steps.

Step 3

Make a donation to Skep Foundation to cover the costs of the marriage license ($150) and the marriage officiant ($70) and, if you want to apostille your marriage in a country other than the United States, the apostille document ($35). (Use the 'Make this donation in honour or in memory of someone' of the donation page to identify the names of the couple to be married or the names of the missionaries helping the couple.) This is the link where the donations can be made: Donation link

Step 4

Skep will pay the marriage license fee (and the apostille fee if you so choose) to Utah County. Utah County will immediately issue the marriage license, sending it via email to the couple. (NOTE: The wedding ceremony must happen within 32 days of the issuance of the marriage license.)

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Skep will find and assign an authorized officiant who speaks fluently the preferred language of the couple. Skep will send an email to the couple and to the officiant with each other’s contact information so that they can connect to decide on the details and the date/time of the wedding ceremony.

The officiant will perform the wedding ceremony in accordance with Utah law and submit the required documentation to Utah County. Utah County will mail the marriage certificate, and the apostille document if elected, to the couple at the physical address they specify.

Skep will pay the officiant for performing the marriage ceremony and submitting the wedding documentation to Utah County.

Helpful Links

Utah County Marriage Website

Utah County Online Marriage FAQ

Start Your Marriage License Application

Skep Foundation Website

Donate for Online Weddings

Video Explanation of Skep's Marriage Support

"Thank you very much for all your attention and service, we enjoyed a very nice ceremony."

"Infinite thanks for all the support you have given us to strengthen our relationship and therefore the family as the basis of society."