Copenhagen’s Wedding Boom: Is the Fairy Tale Ending for Foreign Couples?

Karen Dulong had her heart set on a March 8th wedding, a date she chose to celebrate International Women’s Day and the sixth anniversary of confessing her feelings to her partner. Living in Copenhagen, she eagerly called City Hall the moment registrations opened, hoping to secure her desired date. However, disappointment quickly followed. “It was already fully booked!” exclaimed Ms. Dulong, a 28-year-old gallery owner, bewildered by how quickly the slots disappeared. Her experience isn’t unique; Copenhagen’s City Hall has become increasingly overwhelmed. In recent years, countless international couples have chosen Denmark for its remarkably straightforward wedding process, which demands far less paperwork compared to other nations. “It’s truly astonishing how many people travel to Denmark to marry,” commented Cecilie Julbo, a local wedding planner, noting that even her Danish clients now struggle to find available slots in Copenhagen. This escalating demand has strained Danish authorities, making it difficult to perform civil ceremonies for everyone. In response, Copenhagen announced in June that it would prioritize residents for wedding bookings. This policy change followed the discovery of a significant oversight: since 2018, Copenhagen had mistakenly charged nearly 15,000 couples, a large portion of whom were international, approximately $3.6 million in unlawful wedding fees. These fees were primarily for ceremonies held outside standard hours, a service implemented to manage the high volume. However, Danish law clearly states that all individuals, regardless of nationality, are entitled to a free civil marriage at City Hall, as confirmed by City Council member Niels Peder Ravn. The city has since abolished these charges, allocated funds for refunds this month, and committed to increasing the number of civil weddings from 8,000 to 10,000 next year. Nevertheless, this oversight underscored the immense pressure that international weddings place on the city’s resources and on its own citizens hoping for a City Hall ceremony. “It’s easy to understand why Danish residents would be frustrated,” noted Leanne Hindle, who runs Marry Abroad Simply, a company assisting with international weddings. “You pay taxes, you live here, yet you can’t even get married in your own city hall.” Some officials and wedding planners believe reinstating fees could help manage the overwhelming demand and cover costs. “The influx of international couples marrying here brings significant value to Copenhagen, and they typically don’t mind paying a modest fee for the service,” stated City Council member Louise Theilade Thomsen. While free wedding slots have always existed at City Hall, Danish locals often find themselves navigating a challenging process to secure one. Karen Dulong eventually managed to marry her husband, Tobias Rytter, on her preferred date. However, Danish journalist and radio host Ida Rud faced considerable difficulty finding a suitable civil ceremony slot. In the spring of 2023, while pregnant and residing in Copenhagen, 43-year-old Ms. Rud hoped for a spontaneous summertime wedding. Yet, no Saturday slots were available at City Hall until November, long after her baby was due. While they could have hired a private registrar to officiate, Ms. Rud explained that they “didn’t feel like we could afford it.” They reserved the earliest available Saturday, but as the date neared, her father-in-law’s health declined, requiring end-of-life care. They had to cancel, and he passed away about a week later. “We simply couldn’t find a date that suited us,” said Ms. Rud, who finally married in September 2024 after significant compromises. For many foreign couples, choosing Denmark for their wedding is also a compromise, often because marrying elsewhere is simply not feasible. This includes same-sex couples from countries where their unions aren’t recognized, and refugees unable to safely return home for necessary documentation. Katsiaryna Abramava, a Belarusian living in Poland, chose Copenhagen because obtaining documents from Belarus would have put her at risk of arrest due to her political activism. She described her wedding day there as “the best day of our lives.” Jamie Kilbane, a 42-year-old Irishman based in Berlin, was drawn to Denmark’s efficient system. He knew Denmark was the first country to recognize same-sex unions back in 1989. For him and his husband, Uli Lützenkirchen, who also had friends in the city, Copenhagen offered “the perfect mix of romance and practicality.” They felt a growing urgency to marry amidst increasing political challenges to same-sex marriage in the US and the removal of Pride flags by German conservatives from public buildings. The 2,455 kroner (approximately $385) they paid for a private registrar in July, which is now likely to be refunded, was hardly a concern for Mr. Kilbane. “It was absolutely worth it,” he affirmed in a message, “I would pay it again in a heartbeat.”