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It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life, heading down the aisle to stand with the person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with.
There's plenty that can go wrong on your wedding day, and whether it's forgetting the rings, someone shouting objections from the pews, or simply getting to the church on time, it can also be a stressful experience.
At least your vows should go smoothly, and apart from going full Friends by saying the wrong name, it's a chance to speak from the heart and get a few tears from the crowd.
Unfortunately, one Dutch couple has had their marriage annulled after they were accused of using artificial intelligence to write their vows.
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Away from scandalous stories about brides pulling out their cheating partner's text messages instead of her speech, or more heartwarming ones where one groom used drones to tell his wife how much he loves her, there's the drama of this couple who've had their big day ruined.
Stories about AI weddings are becoming more commonplace, especially as you can now marry ChatGPT. Still, we'd question whether this latest story throws the legality of that into question.
According to Reuters, AI has accidentally annulled the marriage as the outlet explains their April 19, 2025, ceremony failed to meet certain legal requirements. A court in Zwolle, the Netherlands, recently ruled that the unnamed bride and groom are no longer legally married, with the judge adding: "The court understands that the date in the marriage deed is important to the man and woman, but cannot ignore what the law says."
The pair apparently failed to swear that they would fulfill their marital duties, which goes against article 1:67, paragraph 1, of the Dutch Civil Code. It reiterates that "the prospective spouses must explicitly give their consent to the marriage" by stating two specific things while in front of the civil registrar and the witnesses.
Potential newlyweds have to say "that they accept each other as husband and wife and that they will faithfully fulfill all duties which the law connects to their marital status."
A Dutch court has invalidated a couple’s marriage because their vows were generated by ChatGPT and did not meet official requirements.
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The Dutch couple is said to have wanted a more informal ceremony, so turned to a friend to officiate. That friend then reportedly used ChatGPT for ease in helping craft more personalised vows.
In the vows that were quoted in court, the officiant supposedly asked the couple whether they would keep "supporting each other, teasing each other, and embracing each other, even when life gets difficult."
It's said that other informal mentions included referring to them as 'a crazy couple'.
Despite petitioning the court while asking for the original date of their wedding to be accepted legally, the court is standing by its decision. Giving the final word, the ruling concluded that the vows still didn't meet the statutory requirements for a valid marriage declaration: "This means that the marriage certificate was erroneously recorded in the civil registry."
It's unknown whether they'll be tying the knot again, but let this be a lesson to those who might be tempted to turn to ChatGPT for a quick fix.
