Marriage annulled due to ChatGPT speech: what the registrar did wrong.

According to ТСН: In the Dutch city of Zwolle, a court annulled the marriage of a couple who had conducted it based on a speech created by the ChatGPT chatbot. The Dutch prosecution pointed out that the text did not include the necessary words for formal marriage registration.

Annulment of marriage in court

This situation occurred in the spring of last year. In the Netherlands, anyone can conduct a wedding ceremony if they register an application with the local municipality, becoming a legal marriage registrar for just one day.

The couple decided to take advantage of this opportunity and asked their acquaintance to act as the registrar. At their request, he wrote a 'light wedding speech' with the help of ChatGPT.

The wedding took place on April 19, 2025. After that, the text of the speech reached the municipality, and officials referred the matter to the prosecution, which submitted the case to the court for annulment of the marriage.

Text of the speech created by ChatGPT

Here is an excerpt from the speech created by the chatbot:

‘(Name of the man), do you promise to be by (name of the woman) today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter? To laugh together, to grow together, and to love one another – under all circumstances in life? What is your answer to this? (Name of the woman), do you agree to choose (name of the man) and choose him again and again? Will you continue to support each other, tease each other, stick together even if and when life gets tough? What will your answer be?’

After receiving the answers, the registrar completed the procedure with an intriguing phrase:

‘Then I declare you: you are now a couple. And not just husband and wife, but first and foremost a team, a crazy couple, each other's love and each other's home. Now you may be the first to greet each other with a kiss. Congratulations – you are now officially husband and wife.’

Problems with the speech

At first glance, the text could resemble the American tradition of wedding vows. However, in the Netherlands, there is a specific formula that must be present in the registrar's speech.

The court pointed out that ‘the wedding speech indicates that the man and woman did not make a statement of fulfilling the obligations associated with marriage as required by the Dutch civil code.’

Prospects for the couple

The court's decision came as a shock to the couple, as they were unaware of the mistakes until the case reached trial. They had hoped to preserve their wedding date.

However, the court denied them. ‘The court understands that the wedding date is important to the man and woman, but it cannot ignore what the law states,’ the decision noted.

As a result, the couple plans to enter into a new marriage with a new wedding date.

This situation underscores the importance of adhering to formal requirements when conducting wedding ceremonies, even if they are held under informal circumstances. The couple, who attempted to adapt modern technologies to traditional rituals, now faces legal consequences due to insufficient consideration of legal requirements.