A Little White Wedding Chapel, the same venue where Brittney Spears tied the knot so many years ago, was just as garish in person as Cadence imagined it would be when she’d seen it online. But standing in front of a justice of the peace, holding the hands of the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, while Elvis sang, “Love Me Tender,” in the background, Cadence couldn’t think of a place she’d rather be.

It had only taken a few minutes at the courthouse for them to get their certificate, thanks to fake IDs that would pass as real anywhere on the globe. As far as she knew,...