AI-Written Vows Cost Dutch Couple Their Marriage: Zwolle Court Invalidates Ceremony
A Dutch court in Zwolle ruled that a couple's April 2025 ceremony did not create a valid marriage because their vows, drafted with AI, omitted the mandatory legal declaration. The friend who officiated used ChatGPT to write the script, but the key statutory language never made it into the ceremony.
The court pointed to Article 1:67(1) of the Dutch Civil Code, which requires parties to declare they will fulfill the legal obligations tied to marriage. Without that declaration, the marriage was never formalized.
What Happened at the Ceremony
The officiant asked the man: "Do you promise to stand by (woman's name) today, tomorrow, and forever? To laugh together, grow together, and love each other no matter what?"
They were also asked if they would "keep supporting each other, teasing each other, holding on to each other - even in difficult times?" The ceremony concluded by declaring them "a team, a crazy couple, each other's love and each other's home!"
Meaningful words, but legally incomplete.
The Court's Reasoning
The court held that the parties did not make the declaration required by Article 1:67(1). As a result, the marriage was not formalized and the certificate was recorded in error in the civil registry.
The couple asked to keep their original date for emotional reasons and argued the civil officer didn't flag the issue. The court said it understood, but it "cannot ignore the law." The date could not stand.
The Statutory Anchor
Under Dutch law, a marriage requires an explicit declaration to assume the legal obligations of marriage. Sentiment or general promises aren't enough; the statutory formula matters.
Reference: Burgerlijk Wetboek (official portal) and government guidance on marriage requirements: Rijksoverheid: Trouwen.
Why This Matters for Legal Practitioners
- Formality isn't a checkbox - it's constitutive. If the required declaration isn't made, there is no marriage, regardless of intent or ceremony aesthetics.
- AI-generated scripts can omit compulsory language. Liability and cleanup land on your desk when they do.
- Registry corrections follow from noncompliance. Expect consequences for property regimes, inheritance expectations, immigration status, and benefits that assumed marital status.
Actionable Steps for Civil Officers and Officiants
- Pre-approve the ceremony script. Verify the presence of the Article 1:67(1) declaration in clear, unambiguous terms.
- Avoid improvisation on statutory language. If creative vows are used, deliver the legal declaration separately and explicitly.
- Confirm authority. Ensure the person conducting the ceremony is authorized and follows the legal script before any celebratory language.
- Keep a compliance checklist on hand at every ceremony. Read and tick off the legal declaration in real time.
Guidance for Counsel Advising Couples
- If a ceremony omitted the legal declaration, treat it as no marriage formed. The fix is a compliant ceremony; backdating isn't available.
- Audit downstream effects: property regime start date, tax filings, insurance, next-of-kin status, visas. Adjust filings and contracts accordingly.
- Document intent and timelines, but don't rely on equity to replace statutory language. Get the couple re-married properly, then amend related records.
Using AI Without Risking Validity
- Use AI for tone and personalization, not for the mandatory legal lines. Lock those lines in as non-editable boilerplate.
- Run a final legal review. Treat the script like any critical instrument: version control, sign-off, and ceremony-day verification.
Bottom line: vows can be poetic, but the law needs a specific statement. If that line isn't spoken, the "marriage" never started.
If your team is formalizing internal AI use for scripts and legal workflows, structured training helps reduce these mistakes. Explore practical courses on prompts and guardrails here: AI and ChatGPT training.
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