Listen to this article
Getting married in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is just an awesome location. People come from all over the world to enjoy what this city has to offer and what better place to have an urban elopement.
Why Get Married in Copenhagen?
There is a long story of international couples getting married in Copenhagen and no wonder.
Not only does the Danish marriage law allow international couples to get married quickly and simply in Copenhagen, but the capital of Denmark also offers a variety of beautiful places for you to have your ceremony and celebrate your big day.
Copenhagen is not only a very practical location for many couples, due to being very close to an international airport, but it is also an amazing location packed full of things to do and a great night life. The City Hall is absolutely stunning and there are many possibilities for weddings outside the town hall too.
Witnesses are provided by the town hall on all days and at no extra cost.
Passports and residency permits/visas, if applicable, must be presented to Copenhagen City Hall Information Desk one working day prior to your wedding date (this is Monday to Friday) between 10.00 and 14.00.
Yes, you can hire a registrar to conduct your wedding at a different location in Copenhagen, other than the City Hall, for an extra fee of €500 charged by Copenhagen City Hall
The Look & Feel of Getting Married in Copenhagen
Our couple Olivia & Billy had a lovely wedding in Copenhagen as can be seen in the video above.
What is a Copenhagen City Hall Wedding like?
Getting married in Copenhagen City Hall is a beautiful choice. When you arrive at the Copenhagen City Hall on the day of your wedding you can go directly up to the large wedding hall located on the first floor.
You get to the large wedding hall via the small staircase located on the right side of the main hall. The staircase is indicated by a lovely old sign saying “Bryllupssalen 1. Sal” (wedding hall first floor, as seen in the picture below).
Couples are asked to arrive at Copenhagen City Hall 10 minutes before their wedding by the wedding office.
We recommend arriving 20 minutes before. This will give you time for a few pictures in the lovely surroundings. In the case that the couple before you have been delayed your ceremony could also be pushed forward a bit.
The number of weddings at the City Hall can vary, but on an average weekday between 10 and 15 weddings are normal – and up to 20 on a Saturday.
When you arrive at the large wedding hall there is a small wardrobe where you can hang your coats. There is also a large mirror where you can check hair, makeup and ties are all in place.
The Copenhagen Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony will take place in the small wedding room that is located at the end of the large wedding room.
The large wedding room has plenty of seating if you wish to sit and wait. We recommend that you have a stroll on the large wedding hall’s balcony.
When the registrar calls your names you will follow them into the little wedding hall. In the wedding hall where there will be two witnesses provided by the City Hall.
You can also bring two of your own guests as the official witnesses. The witnesses will sign the marriage certificates after the ceremony and after you have signed.
If you want your own guests to act as witnesses they do not need to bring ID or passports, but must be 18 years old or older. You can bring a maximum of 60 people into the small wedding hall.
Be aware that you will be cramped if you max it, it is called the little wedding hall after all. 🙂
The ceremony itself will take 4 minutes. The registrar will give a short speech about the meaning of marriage and you will then accept each other with the classic “I DO”.
You can then exchange rings if you wish, after which you will be asked to sign the marriage certificates.
After the Ceremony
When the marriage certificates are signed you receive two copies of your Danish International Marriage Certificate.
If you would like to request more than two marriage certificates then please inform your wedding consultant. Your wedding consultant will then make sure that the town hall have the requested number of certificates ready. There are no extra charges for extra marriage certificates.
The Historical Wedding Room in Copenhagen
The Copenhagen City Hall Wedding Room was not originally a part of the City Hall that was drawn by architect Martin Nyrup and finished in 1905.
But it was added after the popularity of civil marriages went up from a total of 628 in 1905 to 2603 in 1926.
It would, however, take a number of years before the artwork that covers the walls would be agreed on.
The painter Joakim Skovgaard, aged 70 at the time, decided he should match Martin Nyrups Copenhagen City Hall Wedding Room extension in 1926.
Skovgaard understood that the wedding room was for non-religious ceremonies and found that a painted interpretation of the medieval ballad Young Svejdal fitted ideally, painted in the style and techniques of the Old Italien Frescos.
Joakim Skovgaard died in 1933, just before finishing the small hall where the ceremonies take place today.
His assistant and son, who were both trained by Skovgaard over the years, finished the small hall and all the paintings in the large hall.
The large hall was previously used as the wedding hall, today it’s used as waiting and calibration hall.
Connected to the large hall is the large balcony that gives a lovely view over the Main Hall.
How to Get to Copenhagen City Hall?
If you decide to get married in Copenhagen City Hall the best airport to fly to is, of course, the Copenhagen airport
You can also easily get to Copenhagen from Hamburg airport.
From Copenhagen Airport to the City Hall
Driving from the airport to the city center takes approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
Taking a taxi is also a good idea, it should cost between €35 and €45, depending on traffic.
The journey on public transport takes between 20mins and 35 mins, depending on the route.
For the routes and Metro/train/bus timetables: Have a look here.
From Hamburg (Germany) to Copenhagen
A car journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen takes around 4h 30minutes.
If you prefer to go by train the journey will take you approximately 6h 30mins.
For the routes and train/bus timetables: Have a look here.
What Can We do While We are In Copenhagen?
What better place to get married than the capital of the happiest nation in the world!
Apart from having a wonderful time during your wedding ceremony in the lovely City Hall, you can do plenty of things in Copenhagen.
1. Explore Copenhagen's neighbourhoods by bicycle
Copenhagen has been called the best cycling city in the world; you can easily rent a bike and really get the feel of the city.
Its neighbourhoods are very diverse with their own looks and vibes, yet they all have something in common: they are very loveable and interesting!
📍 Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Østerbro
The original residential areas which are now full of street life, creativity, cool restaurants and green spaces.
📍 Refshaleøen, Nordvest and Sydhavnen
The former industrial areas of the city are now hip and upcoming places full of culture, creativity and festivals, as well as authentic, tranquil harbour living.
📍 Christianshavn, Amager and Nordhavn
Copenhageners really love being close to the water. Here you can enjoy the water to the fullest while swimming or taking a boat trip, surrounded by charming, colourful houses and beautiful bridges.
📍 Copenhagen City Centre and Frederiksberg
The city centre is full of history, culture, delicious food and exciting happenings and the elegant Frederiksberg is full of green spaces and gourmet restaurants.
2. Tivoli Gardens
This amusement park founded in 1843 is a must-see, regardless of your age!
The park was loved by Hans Christian Andersen and visited by Walt Disney who was so inspired by it he built Disney World.
Tivoli is a real treasure due to the fact that there is something there for everyone.
Historic and exotic architecture, spectacular gardens and truly magical rides will leave anyone speechless.
At night thousands of lights create a unique, fairytale-like atmosphere.
When visiting, make sure to have a look at Tivoli’s restaurants and events schedule as they hold some very special music events!
3. The Little Mermaid
A bronze and granite sculpture located on Langelinie Pier.
It was unveiled on the 23rd of August 1913 as a gift from a brewer Carl Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen.
The brewer fell in love with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale about the Little Mermaid after watching a ballet performance of the tale at the Royal Danish Theatre.
The Mermaid has been a victim of vandalism over the years.
Its head and arm went missing on several occasions, but the sculpture has always been quickly restored in order to welcome people to the harbour.
4. Christiansborg Palace
This impressive palace is now home to the Danish Parliament, Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court of Denmark.
It’s also used by the Royal Family on some occasions.
The building is a successor to various castles and palaces built in the same place, with the first one finished in 1167.
The buildings were used by the central administration, principal residence of the Danish Kings and since 1849 they hold the Danish Parliament.
While the main part of the palace dates back to 1928, the whole building is extremely interesting from an architectural point of view as it shows three styles of the Danish architecture: Neo-baroque, neoclassical and baroque.
This is due to the fact that the palace survived two serious fires.
The first one in 1794 and the second one in 1884.
Danish monarchs are proclaimed on the balcony by The Throne Room and the palace’s most impressive room , the Great Hall, holds the Queen’s tapestries.
5. The Marble Church
The Copenhagen City Hall Wedding Room was not originally a part of the City Hall that was drawn by architect Martin Nyrup and finished in 1905.
But it was added after the popularity of civil marriages went up from a total of 628 in 1905 to 2603 in 1926.
It would, however, take a number of years before the artwork that covers the walls would be agreed on.
The painter Joakim Skovgaard, aged 70 at the time, decided he should match Martin Nyrups Copenhagen City Hall Wedding Room extension in 1926.
Skovgaard understood that the wedding room was for non-religious ceremonies and found that a painted interpretation of the medieval ballad Young Svejdal fitted ideally, painted in the style and techniques of the Old Italien Frescos.
Joakim Skovgaard died in 1933, just before finishing the small hall where the ceremonies take place today.
His assistant and son, who were both trained by Skovgaard over the years, finished the small hall and all the paintings in the large hall.
The large hall was previously used as the wedding hall, today it’s used as waiting and calibration hall.
Connected to the large hall is the large balcony that gives a lovely view over the Main Hall.
Do you wish to get married in Copenhagen?
The History of Copenhagen
When getting married in Copenhagen you are getting married in the most populous city in Denmark and it has a long history.
The earliest historical mentions of Copenhagen come from the 12th century, although it was an established Viking fishing village from the 10th century.
The foundation of the town of Copenhagen is thought to be in 1167 when Bishop Absalon built a fortress on the island of Slotsholmen.
As the fishing industry in Copenhagen was thriving, the prosperous town started expanding and in 1254 Bishop Jakob Erlandsen gave it the status of a city.
Around 1416 Eric of Pomerania moved to Copenhagen Castle and the city officially became the capital of Denmark.
Soon after that, in 1479, King Christian I inaugurated The University of Copenhagen; the oldest university in Denmark and among the oldest in Europe.
At the beginning of the 17th century, during the reign of Christian IV, Copenhagen grew rapidly.
Some of the city’s most important buildings were built including the Tøjhus Arsenal, stock exchange building – Børsen, Rosenborg Slot and the Rundetårn.
In 1616, the East India Company was founded to support already thriving international trade.
Copenhagen was under a major threat during the years 1658-1659 when the Swedes attacked it, but King Charles X managed to defend the city and by 1661 Copenhagen established itself as the capital of Denmark and Norway, with all major institutions, most of the army and fleet located in the city.
The 18th century didn’t start well for Copenhagen which, in 1711, lost almost one-third of its population to the plague and then suffered two big fires which destroyed a lot of its infrastructure and left around 20% of the population homeless.
The city began to rebuild itself very quickly.
After the disasters, the city began to rebuild itself very quickly.
The Christiansborg Palace was finished in 1745 and by 1749 the development of the prestigious district of Frederiksstaden started.
The city’s naval base of Holmen was extended and the Royal Theatre, as well as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, were built, enhancing Copenhagen’s cultural importance and prestige.
On the 2nd of April 1801, the neutral Danish-Norwegian fleet anchored near Copenhagen was attacked by the British fleet commanded by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker.
Although Parker ordered to withdraw, his Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson disobeyed him and conducted the main attack after which truce was declared.
The Copenhagen battle is thought to be Nelson’s hardest battle, worse than the famous Trafalgar.
This wasn’t the end of the British attacks though. Between the 16th of August and 5th of September 1807, Copenhagen was severely bombarded and then attacked on the land.
Many civilians were killed and most of the city was destroyed.
Despite the attacks, Copenhagen was a hub for cultural creativity in the early 19th century and this period is often called the Danish Golden Age.
Excellent painter C.W. Eckersberg was thriving and his students C.F. Hansen and Gottlieb Bindesbøll designed the city’s Neoclassical architecture.
In 1892 Copenhagen started using electricity and, in 1897, introduced electic trams.
The city was expanding rapidly and by 1901 its population was around 400.000.
The beginning of the 20th century saw Copenhagen as an important and continually developing industrial and administrative city.
Denmark’s neutrality in the First World War allowed Copenhagen to prosper from trade with both Germany and Britain.
During the Second World War, from the 9th of April 1940 until the 4th of May 1945, Copenhagen, as well as the whole of Denmark, was occupied by Nazi Germany.
Ole Lippman, who was the leader of the Danish section of Special Operations, invited the British Royal Airforce to help by attacking Nazi headquarters in the occupied Copenhagen in an operation called ‘’Operation Carthage’’.
When the war finished an innovative development plan for Copenhagen was introduced.
New housing and businesses surrounded by large green areas started appearing quickly.
The welfare of the city was seen through the appearance of new schools, nurseries, hospitals, and sports facilities.
Nowadays Copenhagen is the capital city of one of the happiest nations in the world.
Its diverse neighbourhoods which combine history with modernity, extensive cycling paths, excellent restaurants and welcoming people are loved by tourists from all over the world.
