Dutch couple's marriage annulled after ChatGPT vows miss legal phrasing

A court in the Netherlands has annulled a couple's marriage after their wedding vows, which were crafted using ChatGPT, failed to meet legal standards.

On Jan 6, the District Court of Overijssel made their decision about the wedding that took place on April 19 the previous year in the province's capital Zwolle, reported Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

According to the report, the couple had appointed their friend as a temporary registrar to officiate their ceremony, while an official registrar from the municipality was also present.

Their friend used the large language model ChatGPT to write the vows and keep them lighthearted, asking the groom: "Do you promise that today, tomorrow, and all the days to come, you want to stand by [the bride]? To laugh together, grow together, and love each other no matter what life brings?"

The bride was then asked if she would "keep supporting each other, to keep teasing each other, to keep holding on, even when life gets tough?" 

The temporary registrar then declared the couple "not just husband and wife, but above all a team, a crazy couple, each other's love, and each other's home".

But according to Article 1:67 of the Dutch Civil Code, the couple must state before the registrar in the presence of witnesses "that they accept each other as husband and wife and that they will faithfully fulfil all duties which the law connects to their marital status".

However, the municipality noticed the omission of the specific terminology and notified the public prosecutor's office that the marriage may be invalid.

"Based on the information provided, the Public Prosecution Service deemed a court ruling necessary and the case was brought before the district court," a spokesperson said.

The couple stated in their defence that the mistake was beyond their control, and noted that a registrar from the municipality was present at the ceremony but did not point out the error.

They also shared the emotional impact losing their wedding date has made on them, and asked for the court to recognise it as their official wedding day.

However, the court refused.

The ruling stated: "The court understands that the wedding date recorded in the certificate is important to the man and woman, but cannot ignore the law."

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drimac@asiaone.com