How, Why and Where are three common questions when we are trying to find out about something. So we have made 3 blogs that answer those specific questions! How to get married in Denmark, Where to marry in Denmark so in this blog we will explain why marry in Denmark.
During these uncertain time of Coronavirus/Covid19 we have been busy at work, in constant communication with the Agency of Family Law.
At the moment the borders announcement of when Denmark will be back open is on June 1st, obviously this may change, however we are an agency full of positivity and pro-activity, we plan ahead and we make sure that we know every option that is available to us.
Once the borders are re-opened we are expecting a lot of excited couples making plans for their 2020 weddings, it is expected to get administratively very busy. Both locations are working so hard to ensure that they can welcome couples again as soon as they can - and adding extra ceremony days and registrars if required. And we, of course, will do everything we can to ensure that our couples have their perfect wedding day!
Since April 20th Denmark has started to relax its restrictions, and now there are some businesses that are back open & operating, and some shops and junior schools have re-opened -allowing the Danish economy to open up again.
The Agency of family Law have been working all through the lockdown so we can still make applications, and either get you the approval, or alternatively put the application on hold and release it once everything is open again to extend your validity period.
The point of placing applications on hold is because the issued 'permission to marry' has a validity of 4 months, therefore we wouldn’t like the validity period to be eroded by any of the lockdown time. In these cases we have the documents checked and assigned a case number in the system, and then as soon as the lockdown is over we can release them and the approvals will be issued faster as they are already in the system with a 4 month validity. Once we have the approval we can make the appointment for you.
What does this mean for our couples?
We are confident that Summer 2020 is still going to be a wonderful Summer for weddings (and a busy one!). For those that would like to marry early in the Summer we would recommend that you think about Denmark, as once approved we have a choice of over 100 town halls for your special day, therefore we will be able to find a wonderful location that suits you for your wedding ceremony.
We are however, expecting it to be very busy as soon as the borders are open - there are a lot of couples that are waiting for the re-opening of the borders before starting the process. This means that due to the sudden influx of applications the Governing bodies will be very busy, meaning that the approval times could potentially be longer than usual.
When people ask what I do for a living and I say I run and agency that helps people marry in Denmark. The immediate response is always "Why Denmark?". And I often respond by saying "Why not!" And it's got nothing to do with Coronavirus/COVID 19!
So let me go through my list of reasons; (of course there are hundreds!)
Denmark is a progressive thinking country..
Denmark is well known for it's liberal thinking, it was the 12th country in the world to make same sex marriages legal. Championing the thinking of equality for all.
It has become one of the easiest places to marry in the world allowing for International couples to marry with an uncomplicated list of documents needed to marry. The ceremonies are non religious, yet fully legal.
It is a beautiful country..
Denmark itself is a stunning country you have almost every landscape that you can wish for apart from mountains the highest point of land in Denmark is only 171metres high! The coastline is amazing and the beaches are straight from a dramatic movie. The country is made up of 406 islands the majority are uninhibited.
Copenhagen, and all the cities are cool, cosmopolitan, environmentally friendly and have historic tales from monuments that lead to great dinner table stories.
The smaller towns are stunning with often multi-coloured buildings still living their ancestory of fishing and crafts whilst remaining 'cool' and cultured.
Denmark still has 18 working lighthouses, these are all very important as except for the island of Bornholm, Denmark is located at the transition between North Sea and Baltic Sea which includes the Skagerrak and Kattegat waters. Dangerous seas for the ships and boats that pass the shoreline frequently.
When thinking of where to choose to marry in Denmark please see the blog Town Halls In Denmark Which one is Right for you. Some are city, some are coastal, some are on islands the choice is vast and you can have great fun choosing which one you want!
Quick timescales..
Since the reform in the Danish government in January 2019, the process is simple and easy. There are no grey areas at to the documents that you need, all the applications are managed by a central government agency so it's easy to see where you are in the application process. Once approved your 'permission to marry' is sent electronically to the town hall where you will be marrying and then you can book your appointment. Granted if you are applying directly the channels of communication may not be a clear, and it is advisable to choose a reliable wedding planner to help you with the process.
The Danes are wonderful..
Everytime we hear from our couples after they have been married they say "it was so beautiful" and "everyone was so lovely and helpful". These comments always make our hearts jump. Getting married is nerve wracking, getting married abroad can be even more nerve wracking. You are going to a foreign country, for a lot of people it's their first time in Denmark, not a lot of couples speak Danish so they will find themselves asking a lot of questions. The Danish are always so helpful, see this blog from "Study in Denmark" that help explains the way of thinking of the Danes. And always think of Hygge.
The History of the country..
Denmarks first writings are in 500ad, that is a long time ago and the history surrounding the country can be seen everywhere. Of course you have the Viking era that started in the 9th Centrury and can be seen in towns now such as Aarhus, a walled city that has the most incredible Viking museum! In the early 10th Century the Kingdom of Denmark was created and along with that came the castles and amazing sites that are now heritage sites. There is so much history, and can be read about here.
Location...
Denmark is situated between Sweden and Germany. Kastrup Airport which is just outside of the city centre is a major hub that accommodates long haul from all over the world and low cost airlines from all over Europe. It welcomes flights for 20 hours in every 24 hour period. In 2019 it hosted 33 million passengers. Denmark is part of mainland Europe and there are international rail routes which link Denmark to all of Northern Europe and Germany.
Eco Friendly..
Denmark has forever been committed to sustainability and being green and although Copenhagen, the countires capital is slowly becoming one of the worlds most innovative city with regards to being eco friendly, the rest of the country is also equally as committed. Naturkraft, they are so committed that in June of 2020 they are openning the worlds first sustainable theme park called A theme park dedicated to the powers of nature is set to open on 50 hectares of former seabed right next to the city of Ringkøbing in West Jutland. Reportedly the world’s first such theme park, Naturkraft seeks to instil in its visitors a greater awareness and appreciation of the powers of nature – and encourage sustainable living.
There are so many wonderful reasons to marry in Denmark, from the romantic notions of the country to the practicalities of getting there, moving around once there, to the sensible reasons of quick stress free documents for your wedding!
Why wouldn't you marry there? For a little visual inspiration, please see our pinterest board Getting Married in Denmark.
If you would like more information on how to get married in Denmark from an expert wedding planner in Copenhagen, and a free no obligation documents list – then please contact us anytime on [email protected] or +447934933356 or whats app +4571493483
