Prepare together
Explore your options, then use your account to complete your couple profile and the requested details. Follow the license instructions in your portal and upload the approved license when prompted.
Planning your marriage from Pennsylvania
Online marriage in Pennsylvania: get legally married from home
Pennsylvania couples may encounter traditional licenses, self-uniting licenses and services that offer appointments by video. These are not interchangeable ways of describing a wedding. Start by deciding who will lead the legal ceremony and which licensing process you intend to use. Legal Online Marriage offers a live ceremony led by an officiant through a separate remote process. This guide helps you separate that option from Pennsylvania’s own license choices, so the application you complete matches the wedding you are arranging.
Explore your ceremony options ↗A guided remote ceremony, with a separate license process.
Two different ways to plan
Understand which kind of ceremony you are choosing
Pennsylvania’s usual local license process includes a three-day waiting period after application, and the license cannot remain valid for more than 60 days from issue. Completing an application is not the same as holding a license that can already be used. Confirm the actual dates on the issued document before arranging the ceremony.
Pennsylvania also offers a self-uniting license option. A self-uniting ceremony does not require an officiant to solemnize it, unlike the traditional license route. That option is distinct from our service, where an officiant leads a live online ceremony. An online appointment to complete application steps is not proof that any type of ceremony can take place remotely.
If you have already started a local application, explain which license type you requested before choosing our service. Avoid signing up for multiple licensing processes in the hope they will work together. The documents, signatures and filing steps must match the process actually used for the marriage.
Your plans, made clearer
Decide how much you want to organize yourselves
Some couples are comfortable coordinating a local license, their chosen ceremony format and the required return of paperwork. Others prefer a digitally guided account that helps them work through the instructions before a live ceremony. Your account provides up-to-date package options, inclusions, pricing, terms and appointment times, along with the preparation instructions for your ceremony.
If you choose the online route, you and your partner can prepare from the same place or from separate locations. Agree on the call location, check your connection and review the witness arrangements. Keep your legal ceremony date separate from any later reception plans. Afterward, use the recorded certificate from the process you actually completed when preparing name changes or other record updates. Follow your account instructions for the license type, ceremony format and return of the completed paperwork.
A digitally guided experience
What to expect from the process
Meet for a live ceremony
Choose an available appointment after the required preparation. You and your partner join by video with an officiant and two adult witnesses. We can provide the witnesses, or you can bring your own.
Choose document support
The $399 package includes the ceremony. The $899 package adds apostille authentication for your marriage certificate. Both have a separate government marriage license fee. An apostille authenticates a document; it does not guarantee acceptance.
See the complete online process ↗ Explore ceremony options ↗
Local requirements
Pennsylvania marriage rules to know
These details apply to a marriage license issued through the Pennsylvania local process. They are state-specific planning points, not requirements for the separate license used for our ceremony.
- Usual license issuance no earlier than third day after application
- License valid no longer than60days fromissue
- Pennsylvania traditional licenses require an officiant; self-uniting licenses do not
State rules reviewed: November 7, 2026. Confirm local requirements with the issuing office before applying.
Two different processes
Choose the route that fits your plans
A marriage license issued in Pennsylvania follows Pennsylvania rules. Our remote ceremony uses a separate application and ceremony process. The steps below explain what our service includes; they do not replace local requirements if you apply for a Pennsylvania license.
| Question | A local Pennsylvania license | Our live online ceremony |
|---|---|---|
| Which license applies? | The license is issued by the local Pennsylvania authority. Use the waiting-period, validity and filing information in this guide, and confirm local details with the issuing office. | The ceremony follows the process described on our How it works page and uses a license for that process. It is not a Pennsylvania-issued license. |
| Where does the ceremony happen? | Follow the location and ceremony rules that apply to the specific Pennsylvania license. | You and your partner join a live video ceremony with an authorized officiant. You may join from the same room or separate locations. |
| What about witnesses? | Witness rules can depend on the local route and license type. Confirm them with the issuing authority. | Two adult witnesses attend. Witnesses are included if you need them; let the team know before your appointment. |
| Who records the marriage? | The office that issued the local license receives the completed return under its process. | The officiant submits the required marriage paperwork. Follow the clerk’s instructions for obtaining your official certificate. |
Before you rely on a certificate: Ask the office, agency or organization that will receive it which certified copy, authentication or translation it requires. A certificate or apostille does not guarantee acceptance for every purpose.
A real ceremony, with clear steps
How to get married online from Pennsylvania
The ceremony takes place live by video. Your application, license, officiant, witnesses and certificate each have a role. You can review the process before creating an account.
Choose your ceremony option
Your account provides up-to-date package options, inclusions, pricing, terms and appointment times. The government license fee is separate.
Complete the application and identity checks
Follow the instructions in your account to enter both partners’ information, verify your identities and prepare the license. You can join from different locations.
Attend your live video ceremony
You, your partner, an authorized officiant and two adult witnesses join the call. Test your camera and microphone, keep identification ready, and follow the appointment time shown in your account.
Complete filing and request your certificate
Your officiant submits the required marriage paperwork. Follow the clerk’s instructions for your official certificate and any additional document checks.
What brings you here?
Find guidance for your situation
Every couple has a different reason for choosing a live online ceremony. Start with the guide that best matches your plans.
Military couples ↗Plan around orders, training, deployment or a move.Long-distance couples ↗Join the same live ceremony from separate locations.International couples ↗Plan ahead for document and destination requirements.Busy professionals ↗Choose a ceremony time that fits work and travel.Same-sex couples ↗Review the legal process and plan at your own pace.Private ceremonies and elopements ↗Keep the legal ceremony intimate and personal.Homebound and bedside weddings ↗Explore options when travel is difficult.Accessible planning ↗Explore accessibility options for your ceremony.
Planning from around Pennsylvania
Start with your local plans
Whether you are planning from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, the online ceremony can be joined from different locations. If you choose a local Pennsylvania license, check the issuing county or town office for its current application, appointment and ceremony steps. Local offices may have their own forms and scheduling details.
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Allentown
- Harrisburg
- Erie
Before your next step
Questions from Pennsylvania couples
Is your online wedding a Pennsylvania self-uniting marriage?
No. Our service uses a separate licensing process and a live officiant-led ceremony. A Pennsylvania self-uniting license is a different option with its own requirements.
Does a video application appointment mean the wedding is online too?
Not necessarily. Application verification and the ceremony are separate steps. For our live online ceremony, follow the process on our How it works page and the instructions in your account.
Will our ceremony be recorded in Pennsylvania?
Not through this separate remote process. Your marriage record is held by the government authority that records the ceremony, rather than automatically by your home state. Keep the certified copy and confirm what the organization receiving it needs.
Can we join the ceremony from different places?
Yes. The ceremony is live by video, and both partners may join from the same room or separate locations. Everyone must be able to see and hear one another. Two adult witnesses attend, and witnesses are included if you need them.
Does this service issue a Pennsylvania marriage license?
No. The online ceremony follows the process described on our How it works page. The Pennsylvania rules above apply to couples choosing a local Pennsylvania license. These are separate routes, so do not treat a local application or a general course as a substitute for the process described on our How it works page.
How long does it take to get married online from Pennsylvania?
Your portal shows available appointment times and guides you through the application and identity checks. The government authority handles certificate processing after the ceremony; timing depends on that office.
Will every agency accept our marriage certificate?
Requirements depend on the office or organization receiving the certificate, and can differ for benefits, immigration matters or use outside the United States. Ask that office what record, certified copy, apostille or translation it needs before choosing a package.
Can we use a local clerk near Philadelphia, Pittsburgh instead?
You can choose a local Pennsylvania license route, but local application and ceremony rules are separate from our remote process described on our How it works page. Contact the clerk or issuing office for the current requirements in the county or town where you plan to apply.
Keep exploring
In-depth state marriage guides
Compare planning details in nearby guides, or browse the full state directory.
Check the rule at its source
Official state references
These government references support the state-specific local rules above. Visit our How it works page to learn about the online ceremony process.
- Pennsylvania Title 23 chapter 13 ↗ Checked 2026-11-07
- Allegheny County marriage license application ↗ Checked 2026-11-07
This guide is educational and is not legal advice. Local requirements can change.
Take the next step with a clearer plan
Explore the ceremony options, or tell us where you will each join from and what you need help understanding.
Ask the team a question ↗ Browse the state guides ↗
Information checked November 7, 2026. Local requirements can change.
