Q: My cousin wants to marry us. If he gets ordained online, would our marriage be legal?

A: It depends on where you live.

Most states do consider marriages by people ordained online as legal, but a few don't.

Connecticut doesn't recognize marriages performed by people who get ordained for the sole purpose of performing marriages. In the event of an unauthorized marriage, the officiant can be fined up to $500 or sent to jail for up to a year -- seriously. The reasoning is that an officiant should be a member of the government or have a congregation. This extends to other states, including Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, and Nevada (yes, Las Vegas, too!).

If it's important for you to have a relative marry you, call your county clerk's office to double-check your state's guidelines.