According to the NOS publication, the ceremony was conducted by a friend of the newlyweds. The text included light-hearted and joking expressions, such as a question about their readiness to support each other and "stay together even when times are tough." However, it lacked the necessary legal clause regarding mutual recognition as spouses and the acceptance of associated rights and obligations.
Under Dutch law, the absence of this critically important wording renders the marriage legally invalid. Consequently, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit to have the marriage certificate declared invalid.
The spouses attempted to contest the decision, pointing out the presence of an official registrar who heard the text and did not intervene. However, the court did not consider this circumstance sufficient to overturn the decision and upheld the prosecutor's position.
As a result, the court decided to annul the marriage, and the spouses will have to go through the registration process again to obtain legal status.
