Associated Press, by James Brooks
Denmark’s Copenhagen (AP) Magdalena Kujawi Ska and her Colombian fiancé Heinner Valenzuela flew to Copenhagen to get married after encountering complicated procedures back home in Poland.
As the pair waited for their 10-minute ceremony at the 19th-century City Hall in the Danish city, Kujawi Ska, 30, said, “We realized that it’s not that easy to get married in Poland.”
“You must provide proof that you are single,” she stated. Although it is only valid for three months, we attempted to obtain it from Colombia, but it was unable to reach Poland within that time frame. For us, it was simply not feasible.
The Krakow-based couple had been engaged for over three years when Kujawi ska learned from a coworker about Denmark’s comparatively light marriage regulations. The couple prepared the required paperwork while using an internet wedding planner.
And after four days, we decided that the marriage might take place here, Kujawi ski remarked with a smile.
As more and more same-sex and mixed-race couples from outside Denmark marry in the Scandinavian nation, some have dubbed Copenhagen the Las Vegas of Europe.
Approximately 8,000 wedding ceremonies were held in Copenhagen City Hall last year, according to Anita Okkels Birk Thomsen, head of the marriage office. Approximately 5,400 of those were for couples where neither partner lived in Denmark.
She replied, “That’s nearly twice what we saw five years ago.” Their origins are worldwide.
However, the city sees a drawback to that: there are currently significantly more requests for ceremonies in City Hall than there are spots available.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Mia Nyegaard, the Copenhagen official in charge of culture and recreation, stated that the notable increase in international marriages in the capital presents difficulties for Copenhagen-based couples who want to tie the knot.
The local government intends to act. About 40% of the wedding slots at City Hall will be set aside for Copenhagen residents beginning at the end of October, according to Nyegaard. The most obvious way to get married in the city is to reserve a spot there, but you can alternatively arrange a ceremony with a private registrar, which won’t have any impact.
Over the summer vacation, Copenhagen lawmakers will investigate further ways to alleviate the city’s total wedding capacity issue.
Denmark has liberal marriage rules in a number of areas. The nation was the first in the world to let same-sex civil partnerships to be registered in 1989. 2012 saw the legalization of same-sex unions.
In contrast to many other European nations, Denmark does not require a birth certificate or evidence of single status for unions of any kind in order to issue a certificate granting the right to marry within four months. When divorce documents fail to clearly indicate that a divorce has been finalized, officials may request a civil status certificate.
It costs 2,100 kroner ($326) to apply to Denmark’s family law agency, and if a couple meets the conditions, they will receive a certificate in five working days.
All non-resident couples need is a valid passport and, if necessary, a tourist visa to enter Denmark and get married.
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We receive the question, “Are you certain we don’t require a birth certificate?” Rasmus Clarck S. Rensen, director of Getting Married in Denmark, responded, “Yes.”
In 2014, Dane Clarck S. Rensen and his British wife started a wedding planning company.
“People just meet more across borders in the last 20 to 30 years,” he remarked. Marriage laws are frequently created for two citizens of the same nation to be married.
“They added patches to marriage law, and many people get stuck in those patches,” he continued.
The Complete Service package offered by his internet business, which costs 875 euros ($1,014), includes assistance in obtaining the required paperwork, processing the certificate application, and setting up the ceremony day.
The company claims to have assisted more than 2,600 couples in the previous year.
The most well-liked area and the one that seems to be having the most trouble with demand thus far is Copenhagen, which is undoubtedly Denmark’s largest metropolis and has the best transportation system in the nation.
Newlyweds Kujawi ska and Valenzuela are currently busy organizing a celebration in Poland with relatives and friends, so any changes to the city’s regulations will come too late to disturb them.
We’ve been waiting a long time for this, so it means a lot to us,” Kujawi ski added. We are very content.
