ChatGPT caused the annulment of a marriage in the Netherlands. “A relaxed ceremony” was taken seriously by the court
Wedding Photo: – / Wavebreak / Profimedia
The Dutch justice annulled a marriage, deciding that artificial intelligence has no place in a wedding speech, which must comply with the Civil Code, reports AFP, taken by News.ro.
In April 2025, in Zwolle, in the north of the country, a couple asked an acquaintance to officiate their marriage, as a provisional registrar. This is allowed in the Netherlands, if a real registrar is also present at the ceremony.
Because the bride and groom wanted a relaxed ceremony, the acquaintance drafted a speech with the help of ChatGPT, according to the Zwolle court ruling, published on Tuesday.
“Do you promise to be with (woman's name, withheld for privacy reasons) today, tomorrow and forever?” the man was asked during the ceremony. “To laugh together, grow together and love each other no matter what happens?” “To continue to support each other, to tease each other, to support each other, even in difficult moments?”, the woman was asked. Then, the couple was declared “not just husband and wife, but especially a team, a crazy couple, each other's love and each other's home!”
Thus, the marriage ceremony was not in accordance with the law, the court considered. “The speech mentioned above proves that the man and the woman did not make the declaration provided for in Article 1:67, paragraph 1, of the Dutch Civil Code,” ruled the justice. This article states that the future spouses declare that they will fulfill all the legal obligations related to marriage.
“Consequently, the marriage between a man and a woman was not formalized. This means that the marriage act was erroneously registered in the civil registry,” the court ruling states.
According to the couple, the error was independent of their will, and the registrar present did not point it out to them during the ceremony. Claiming that the loss of the marriage date had a significant emotional impact, the couple asked the court to allow them to keep the original marriage date or to administratively recognize it as such.
“The court understands the importance that the date of marriage that appears in the act has for a man and a woman, but it cannot ignore the law”, estimated the uncompromising justice.
