Write an article based on this "Get an absentee license. Apply for an informal marriage license."
If you or your spouse is serving in combat or a military operation overseas and can't attend the ceremony, you or he/she can apply for an absent application affidavit.  The absent applicant must complete the information on the form, though, and it must be notarized. The application expires 30 days after its issuance. Print or type all information in blue or black ink and do not use white out or mark outs.  You must appoint a person as proxy and that person has to be present when purchasing the license. People in jail can obtain an absent application form but they can't use a proxy and must be present to get married. This is a license that grants a common law marriage that is based on living together and mutual understanding.  A civil or religious ceremony does not occur in the case of a common law union. Most states do not allow common law marriages. Prove your identity with a valid driver's license, valid passport, state-issued ID card, military ID card, or certified copy of your birth certificate or valid photo ID.