How To Get Married In Denmark?
Laura’s + Josh’s Elopement Story in Copenhagen City Hall & her tips for planning your destination wedding in Denmark
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Ever since I started this wedding photography journey in Denmark, I've been wanting to put together a guide that captures not just the logistics, but the essence of what it's like to embark on an elopement adventure in a foreign country. And then, serendipitously, I crossed paths with Laura – an independent journalist and content writer who was in the midst of planning her own wedding in Copenhagen. Her excitement to share her experience in words was palpable, and I knew we had something special to offer. So, grab a cup of tea or coffee, settle in, and let's delve into Laura's personal story.
Note: L + J celebrated their elopement in 2021, the blog post has been updated with the price changes for 2025.
Table of ContentsShow
Why to Elope in Denmark?
Many international couples yearn for a (somewhat less cheesy) Las Vegas-style elopement in Europe. And with its effortless process, Copenhagen is the best solution for most of us. Yet in Denmark, things are not quite as simple as showing up to a church in white and signing a nuptial. If you’re planning to elope in Copenhagen, it’s time you found out about the legal process of planning an intimate wedding in Denmark, through someone who has recently done it all.
Laura’s Copenhagen City Hall Elopement Story
We relocated to Amager, in late August, after spending 5 years in Australia. Josh and I (Laura) had been engaged for over 2 years, but with two families living across the world and a pandemic, things always felt overly complicated.
Denmark is known for being wedding friendly to non-EU-citizens. And as a French-Australian couple beginning an exciting new chapter in life, it felt like the perfect place to do something just for us - without the pressure of organising a big wedding.
So, after a month in Copenhagen and with our residency documents still in process, we foolishly decided to elope. Our 5 year anniversary was coming up on November 3, and it felt like a blissful sign to tie the knot. With a 3000 Euros budget and two months to spare, I dived headfirst into the cringy, the stressful, and the exciting part of planning an international elopement in Copenhagen.
What Documents Do You Need to Get Married in Denmark?
Step-by-Step Process Of Getting Married In Copenhagen For Foreigners in 2025
A quick search on the internet will tell you that getting married in Denmark is fairly easy for couples like us - with a European (non-nordic) and international (Non-EU) citizenship. And in essence, it is. All you have to do is:
Register for a marriage license with Familieretshuset and pay the 2100 DKK (approx 280eu) fee.
Submit a handful of paperwork, including passports, proof of address (in any country), proof of relationship, and a few photos.
Wait up to 7 days for approval (if you’re lucky) or for an email requesting new scans and/or more documents. If you encounter the latter (like us), approval can take up to 2 months - and that is no matter how many times you call their office for an update.
Receive a link to book the wedding ceremony at the Copenhagen City Hall once the license is approved. If your date isn’t available, you can request a private ceremony at the City Hall or in a chosen location and pay a fee starting at 3800 DKK (over 500 eu).
Send an email to the City Hall with your ceremony language request (It can be in Danish, German, or English) and inform them if you’re bringing your own witnesses. For our ceremony, I also requested to have someone from the party say a few words in French/English and do vows during the exchange of our rings.
Present both passports on the day of the ceremony to the officiate.
Receive 2 copies of the marriage certificate written in 5 languages (Danish, English, German, French, and Spanish) once the ceremony is completed.
Legally, that’s about it. But as I experienced, it can also be a bumpy and stressful process.
Some family and friends wanted to join us for the ceremony. However, our license was left pending for almost two months, leaving no room to plan anything else. Early October, I reluctantly told everyone to book their flights, hoping for the best.
In hindsight, our marriage license was approved one week before our chosen date. I had nothing fully locked down before then. No after-party, cake, venue, or photographer. But while the marriage license kept me up at night too many times to count, all the vendors I had contacted were kind, understanding, speaking English, and made our last-minute event unforgettable.
Finding a Copenhagen Elopement Photographer
Ieva was the first person I approached when trying to organise our elopement. We had connected through a Copenhagen Expat group on Facebook and decided to go out on a rainy October morning for coffee.
Her kindness and calm presence made me feel at ease the moment we sat down. I knew Josh, my partner, was kind of awkward when taking photos, and I was looking for someone who would make us feel comfortable enough to capture the little moments, the stolen kisses, and the cry of joy that makes up a wedding.
Ieva intuitively asked about the atmosphere that would take place, the details I wanted to capture, and the moments I wanted to cherish and remember.
I showed her a photo of my simple, romantic dress that I had bought that July from Balzac Paris. I told her we got a sleek navy suit for Josh from Fields, had purchased our rose gold rings in France, and that I was planning of doing my own hair and makeup. All in all, we had spent 900 Euros so far.
But now, I needed to find flowers, cake, an after-ceremony venue, and potentially book a restaurant for ten people.
Before we parted ways for the day, she recommended a few independent flower creators to help me with my search. I spent that night immersed in Instagram, looking at beautiful dry compositions and delicious cakes. But at that time, I was still without a license or a ceremony venue, so I left those details in the back of my mind.
Images from private archive
Flowers, MUA & Restaurants in Copenhagen
In the week that followed, I was starting to organise a plan B in case we had to do an “unofficial ceremony”. During that time, I must have changed plans with all the vendors at least three times, but despite it all, everyone stayed so kind, understanding, and accommodating.
On October 26, everything finally fell into place as I booked the Copenhagen City Hall for a private ceremony mid-afternoon on November 3rd. I reserved our wedding night and a post-ceremony celebration at the Villa Copenhagen Hotel, and secured a dinner table at Zirup.
Both locations were once again, so accommodating to my requests. Villa made it a breeze to secure a private corner in their beautiful bar and even upgraded our wedding night to a beautiful superior deluxe room. Zirup graciously agreed to host our party of ten in their hidden courtyard and let me pick our preferred dishes options for the guests. I also loved that both locations were within a walking distance from the City Hall, making it easy on the day to move around.
I left the cake and the flowers at the very last minute, and unfortunately, some vendors didn’t work out. I ended up ordering mouth-watering chocolate cupcakes from an independent baker in Nørrebro - you can find her at Nordic Cakes on Instagram - and bought fresh roses from the location market that I arranged myself. Everything fell into our budget seamlessly.
Celebrating elopement in Copenhagen City Hall
Our family had arrived in town the night before, so we went out for an early brunch at Paludan Cafe in the city before getting ready. At my mom’s hotel, I curled my hair into soft, bouncy waves, interlocked a fine hairpiece I had bought on Etsy, and did a subtle rose makeup. After slipping into my wedding dress, I jumped in a taxi to Rådhuspladsen, where Josh, Ieva, 50 people on zoom, and the rest of our party were waiting for me.
The moment I walked toward Josh, no one was left without a tear. We stepped into the city hall and the private room full of excitement and anticipation for what was about to happen. The officiate said a few words before letting us emotionally share our vows.
It was an intimate... personal... and delicate moment full of love and promises.
After we sealed it with a kiss, we carried those emotions around the quiet City Hall and the streets of Copenhagen to capture it all on camera.
We joined our party at Villa shortly after. As we cheered with champagne, hugged each other and bit the cupcakes away, I realised the stepbacks that took place until that point were truly worth it. I was so grateful for the people that came, the friends and family who joined online from far away, the vendors that stayed kind and understanding through it all.
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As I write this, I can still re-live that day through her beautiful photographs three weeks later and, without a doubt, for years to come. And that’s what is magical about finding a photographer that intuitively connects with you. You get flawlessly document and eternalise one of the most beautiful days of your life.
Laura is an independent journalist and content writer specialising in wellness, travel and lifestyle. She is currently based in Copenhagen. Find her at www.lauraalr.com
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More Copenhagen City Hall Elopement Stories ∙ Planning Tips ∙ Copenhagen Wedding Photographer (Overview)
FAQ
How To Get Married In Copenhagen as an International?
1. Register for a marriage license with Familieretshuset. Please note, the certificate of marital status is valid for a period of four months (afterwards you will have to reapply).
2. Submit documents: passports, proof of address (in any country), proof of relationship, and a few photos. All material must be translated to Danish, English or German by a certified translator (this also applies to any apostille stamp).
3. Wait for approval (if you’re lucky 7 days) or for an email requesting new scans and/or more documents.
4. Receive a link to book the wedding ceremony at the desired venue.
5. Send an email to the City Hall with your ceremony language request.
6. Present both passports on the day of the ceremony to the officiate.
7. Receive 2 copies of the marriage certificate written in 5 languages (Danish, English, German, French, and Spanish) once the ceremony is completed.`
Voilà — you’re now legally married!
What Documents Do You Need to Get Married in Denmark?
1. Valid Passport, visa if required and Schengen entry stamp*
2. If you live abroad, you will need to show your residence permit
3. Certificate of your marital status from your current place of residence. This must be no older than 4 months
4. If you have been previously married, a divorce decree or death certificate will be required.
5. Original Birth Certificate (in most cases your birth certificate is not necessary)
*Military personnel will require permission from their commander
For more information, visit official page
How Long Does It Take To Get Married In Denmark?
You could expect anything from 2 to 8 weeks. How fast you can get married in Denmark depends on the season (summers are competitive) as well as venue (you should expect longer waiting queues for Copenhagen City Hall marriage). You can fast-forward the process when paying extra for the private ceremony.
Where to Get Married in Denmark?
The most popular places to get married in Copenhagen are Copenhagen City Hall or Frederiksberg Town Hall. Copenhagen municipality each year also organises open air wedding ceremonies. The 2025 list can be found here.
The Cost Of Getting Married In Denmark?
1. Agency of Family Law (Familieretshuset) fee of 2100 DKK (~280 EU).
2. Apostille/Legalisation fee of 235 DKK (~30 EU) per document.
If you wish to book a registrar privately, price starts from DKK 3,800 (~500 EU) as of 2025. The price may vary depending on transportation costs.
Do you Need a Witness?
You can bring your witnesses, but it’s not mandatory. In case you don't have any, the City Hall will provide you.
What is the Ceremony Like?
A wedding ceremony in Copenhagen City Hall (and most other places) is sweet and short, lasting anything between 4 to 10 minutes. The officiant can conduct the ceremony in English, Danish or German upon request. You can exchange short vows and rings if you wish. After the ceremony, along with witnesses, you will sign your marriage certificate.
Can Same-Sex / Non-Binary Couples Marry in Denmark?
They surely can! Actually, Denmark is one of the most popular destinations for LGBTQ+ couples to get married.
Wedding Vendors in Denmark
Some of my recommendations of independent wedding vendors can be found here.
