AI-written wedding vows deemed legally insufficient by Dutch court

A Dutch court ruled that wedding vows drafted with ChatGPT did not include the statutory declaration required by Dutch law, declaring the April 2025 ceremony legally invalid; the couple later held a civil ceremony and the original certificate was removed from records.

A Dutch court has ruled that a couple's April 2025 wedding in Zwolle is not legally valid. A close friend officiated the ceremony and used ChatGPT to draft the vows and the ceremony text. The court found the wording did not include the specific legal declaration required under Article 1:67 of the Dutch Civil Code. The couple later held a simple civil ceremony at the town hall, and the original certificate was removed from the records. Key facts: - The ceremony took place in Zwolle in April 2025 and was officiated by a friend who used ChatGPT to draft the vows. - The court found the vows lacked the statutory declaration required under Article 1:67 of the Dutch Civil Code. - The court declared the April 2025 marriage legally invalid and ordered the original certificate removed from records. - The couple held a subsequent civil ceremony at the town hall to register the marriage formally. Summary: The ruling means the couple's original wedding date and certificate are not recognised under Dutch law, and the couple has since completed a separate civil registration. Undetermined at this time.