Copenhagen City Hall performed around 8,000 wedding ceremonies last year – more than half of which were for couples who didn’t live in Denmark. Authorities are now looking to change that
Authorities in a stunning European capital are taking action against a booming trend in overseas tourism – ‘destination weddings’ – which have exploded in popularity in recent years.
Copenhagen City Hall conducted approximately 8,000 wedding ceremonies last year – with more than half involving couples who weren’t Danish residents – according to the Associated Press.
Following complaints from locals who’ve been unable to tie the knot in their own city, 40% of Copenhagen weddings will be set aside for residents from October. The city’s authorities will increase its total wedding capacity from 8,000 to 10,000 from next year.
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The city’s status as the ‘Las Vegas of Europe’ stems partly from its relaxed marriage legislation, requiring only a valid passport or visa for a civil ceremony.
For many couples, including those of mixed nationality and same-sex partnerships, it provides an appealing and straightforward way to exchange vows in a historic and elaborate venue, reports the Express.
However, on the streets, public frustration is evident. “I can see, if you’re Danish, how it would be really frustrating,” Leanne Hindle, director of Marry Abroad Simply, which organises weddings in Denmark and elsewhere, said.
“You pay your taxes and you live there, and you just can’t married,” Ms Hindle told the New York Times. “There’s so many people from other countries coming to Denmark to get married,” wedding planner Cecilie Julbo added. “It’s really crazy.”
Karen Dulong, a Copenhagen resident, had her heart set on tying the knot on March 8, marking the sixth anniversary of when she confessed her feelings to her partner.
However, when she rang to secure a slot at City Hall last year, she discovered it was already fully booked, forcing her to seek out a registrar elsewhere.
Danish journalist Ida Rud also found herself scrambling for a last-minute summer booking after falling pregnant in 2023. “I thought it could be kind of spontaneous,” the Copenhagen local revealed.
After discovering there were no available Saturdays at City Hall until November, Ms Rud eventually opted for a September 2024 date, well after welcoming her baby.
“We just couldn’t find a date that worked for us,” she revealed. “We had to really compromise.” In response, city authorities will reserve 40% of ceremonies for local couples whilst boosting total wedding capacity from 8,000 to 10,000 from next year.
The pressure from overwhelming demand became apparent through a significant blunder exposed earlier this year, when it emerged that Copenhagen had mistakenly charged nearly 15,000 couples, many of them foreign, approximately $3.6 million (£2.6 million) in unlawful wedding fees.
Under Danish law, both locals and foreigners should be entitled to marry at City Hall without charge. The fees have now been scrapped and local authorities have allocated funds for refunds.
The eased regulations surrounding civil ceremonies, which have been embraced by numerous same-sex couples unable to wed in their home countries due to legal restrictions, have prompted some to confess they’d be content to continue paying the fees, particularly given the unstable political environment in the US and Europe.
Jamie Kilbane, an Irish bloke residing in Berlin, shelled out approximately $385 (£285) to tie the knot with his partner in July, a sum that will likely now be reimbursed. “I would pay it again in a heartbeat,” he declared.
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