Getting married in Denmark as a foreign couple

The reasons couples give are practical. A Danish civil marriage is a legal marriage in its own right, not a symbolic ceremony, and there is no requirement to be resident in Denmark. The procedure is handled in writing, much of it before you travel, and the ceremony itself is short.

There is also a choice of settings. You can marry in the capital, with the city around you for photographs afterwards, or on a small island where the whole town is a backdrop. Many municipalities hold ceremonies, so a wedding can be combined with a trip to Skagen or Bornholm.

Whether a Danish marriage is recognised where you live is a question for the authorities of your own country. Check that before you book anything; some couples need the marriage certificate legalised or apostilled for use abroad.

In outline, a foreign couple goes through three stages. The details – which documents, in which languages, how they must be certified, what the fee is and how long it takes – are on Familieretshuset’s website, and they are the only reliable source.

1. Approval of the conditions for marriage. Before a ceremony can be booked, the couple applies to Familieretshuset for an examination of whether they meet the conditions for marriage under Danish law (in Danish, *prøvelse af ægteskabsbetingelser*). You submit the application with the documents Familieretshuset asks for, typically identification and proof of your marital status, and pay a fee.
2. Booking the ceremony. Once approved, you book a ceremony with the municipality (*kommune*) where you want to marry, for example Copenhagen or Ærø. Each municipality sets its own available days, venues and booking procedures.
3. The ceremony and the certificate. You attend the civil ceremony with your passports and witnesses, and receive a marriage certificate afterwards.

Start early. Processing takes time, the approval is linked to the ceremony date, and popular municipalities book up for spring and summer. Familieretshuset states current processing times; plan around those, not around what a forum post said last year.

Three practical points come up for almost every couple.

Documents. Familieretshuset lists exactly which documents it needs and in which form. If either of you has been married before, expect to show how that marriage ended. Documents not issued in a language Familieretshuset accepts may need an official translation. Read the list carefully, because a missing stamp is the most common reason a plan slips.

Witnesses. A Danish civil ceremony needs two witnesses. If you are coming alone, ask the municipality whether they can arrange witnesses for you; some do. Your photographer is there to photograph, not to sign.

Language. Ceremonies are commonly held in Danish or English. If you need another language, ask the municipality in advance what is possible.

A wedding planner can handle the application and booking for you; it is optional. We do not handle paperwork. We arrange the photographer.

Copenhagen City Hall stands on Rådhuspladsen at the end of Strøget, a red-brick building with a tall clock tower. Ceremonies take place inside, in a room set aside for weddings; the municipality decides which room, the time slot and how many guests may attend.

What it is like on the day:

• Arrival. You arrive a little before your slot and wait with other couples. On busy days several ceremonies follow each other.
• The ceremony. It is short – often around a quarter of an hour – and conducted by an official from the municipality. You exchange vows and sign.
• Afterwards. You come out into one of the busiest squares in the city. Photographs on the steps are quick; the better portraits are a short walk away.

From City Hall, the old streets around Gråbrødretorv, the canals at Gammel Strand and the harbour front are all within a ten- to twenty-minute walk, and Nyhavn a little further. Our page on city hall weddings in Copenhagen covers routes and timing in more detail.

Ærø is a small island south of Funen, and its municipality has welcomed couples from abroad for decades. Ærøskøbing, the main town, is a grid of cobbled streets and low painted houses that has changed little in two hundred years; Marstal and Søby are the other towns.

The island is reached only by ferry, from Svendborg, Faaborg or Fynshav. That shapes the day: plan to arrive the day before, check the ferry timetable for your return, and book a car on the ferry early in summer. Ask Ærø municipality which venues it offers for ceremonies and on which days.

For photographs, Ærø is generous. The streets of Ærøskøbing, the small harbour and the row of colourful beach huts on the shore outside town are all close together, and on the island the light at the end of a summer day lasts a long time. Any session on Ærø starts from DKK 4,000, because of the ferry. Our Ærø elopement page goes through the island spot by spot.

Copenhagen and Ærø are the best known, but every Danish municipality holds civil weddings, and some offer ceremonies at selected places outside the town hall.

• Bornholm, in the Baltic, has rocky coasts in the north and white sand at Dueodde in the south. It is reached by ferry from Ystad in Sweden or from Køge, or by plane to Rønne.
• Skagen, at the northern tip of Jutland, is known for its light, its yellow houses and the sandbar at Grenen where two seas meet. In June the sun sets around 22:00.

Ask the municipality directly which venues it offers, whether a ceremony outdoors is possible, and on which days. Both places are a long way from Copenhagen, and sessions there start from DKK 4,000. The elopement in Denmark guide compares the main options.

A Danish civil ceremony takes minutes, so the photographs are mostly about what happens around it. Our city hall wedding and elopement coverage starts from DKK 3,500 for two hours, which is usually arranged like this:

1. Before the ceremony (30–45 min). Portraits while you are fresh, near the town hall or at a spot you choose. Flowers and details.
2. Arrival and the ceremony (about 30 min). Walking in, waiting, the vows and signing, where the municipality allows photography inside. Ask in advance; rules differ between rooms and municipalities.
3. Leaving the town hall (15 min). The steps, your witnesses and guests. Ask before you bring confetti or rice; many municipalities do not allow it.
4. Portraits (30–45 min). A short walk through the streets or along the water.

If you want preparations at your hotel, a dinner or a second location, a longer package or the full wedding day at DKK 16,000 fits better. The wedding photography in Denmark page describes those days.

Most municipalities hold ceremonies during office hours on weekdays, so the time of the ceremony is usually set for you. You choose the portrait time around it.

• May to early September has long days and the most stable weather, and is the most requested period for ceremonies.
• Spring and autumn are quieter. The light is lower and softer through the day, which suits portraits after a midday ceremony.
• Winter has short days – sunset around 15:40 in December – and often wind and rain. Plan portraits straight after the ceremony.

On the coasts and islands, wind is the main factor. Bring something warm to put on between photographs, and choose a veil or a dress with the wind in mind. See the best time for a photoshoot in Denmark for the season in more detail.

• Check that a Danish marriage will be recognised in your home country, and whether you will need an apostille.
• Read Familieretshuset’s current requirements and fees, and gather your documents.
• Apply for approval of your marriage conditions.
• Book the ceremony with the municipality you choose.
• Arrange two witnesses, or ask the municipality whether they can provide them.
• Book travel, including ferries if you are marrying on an island.
• Send us an availability request with the date, the town and the ceremony time once you know them.

The photograph plan can be agreed before the ceremony slot is final; the photographer adjusts the timing once the municipality has confirmed it.