> At a Glance
> – A Dutch couple’s April 19, 2025 marriage was annulled after a ChatGPT-written script skipped mandatory legal wording.
> – Dutch law requires spouses to explicitly state they will fulfill all marital duties.
> – Because the vow line was missing, Zwolle’s court ordered the union struck from the registry.
> – Why it matters: Couples using friends as officiants risk losing legal recognition if the ceremony doesn’t hit every statutory phrase.
A friendly, personalized ceremony turned into a bureaucratic nightmare when a ChatGPT speech left out the single sentence Dutch law demands.
The Legal Requirement
Article 1:67 of the Dutch Civil Code is crystal-clear: before the registrar and witnesses, both partners must say they accept each other as spouses and “will faithfully fulfill all duties which the law connects to their marital status.” Without that declaration, no marriage exists.
The couple-names withheld under privacy rules-asked a friend to officiate and used ChatGPT to draft heartfelt, informal vows. The resulting script asked the pair to keep “supporting each other, teasing each other and embracing each other, even when life gets difficult,” but never mentioned legal duties.
Court Ruling
The Jan. 5 decision from Zwolle’s court acknowledges the emotional significance of the April date yet upholds statutory compliance. The judge wrote:
> “The court understands that the date in the marriage deed is important to the man and woman, but cannot ignore what the law says.”
Because the statutory vow was absent, the court ruled:
- The recorded marriage certificate was erroneous.
- The union must be removed from the civil registry.
- A new ceremony with correct wording is required for legal recognition.
Key Takeaways
- Dutch couples must recite the exact legal clause, even in casual ceremonies.
- Friends acting as officiants need to follow civil-code checklists.
- AI tools can enhance personalization but can’t replace mandatory phrasing.
The ruling serves as a cautionary tale for anyone swapping tradition for tech without checking the fine print.
