Couples Don’t Need To Be Present To Get Married In Montana
Weddings aren’t a big thing in Big Sky Country apparently. According to KBZK-TV, neither member of a couple needs to be present in order to get married in Montana.
Montana is the only state that allows double-proxy weddings. That’s where two people act as stand-ins for the people getting married. I can’t think of why BOTH people wouldn’t be there, but military deployment, accidents, and illness are reasons why one wouldn’t be.
Double-proxy weddings are on the rise in Montana, jumping from approximately 1,200 in 2019 to about 4,300 in 2021. The law has been in place since 1889, but people are just beginning to discover it. Back then, this law would have benefited folks who lived far from the county seat. The recent surge is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What if one of the proxies doesn’t show up? Is that the same as being left standing at the altar? I’m guessing proxies don’t often get cold feet. While it may seem odd for two people to get married by double-proxy, they’ll definitely save a lot of money that way. That is, unless they still have the reception in absentia, too.
