Marriage

Before you can get married, report your proposed marriage to the municipality where you want to get married. 

Good to know

• You must file the declaration at least 14 days and up to one year before the wedding.
• A "Notification of Intended Marriage" is free of charge.
• You and your partner are both 18 years of age or older.
• You must not already be married or in a registered partnership.
• You may not marry your own child, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, grandchild, half-brother, half-sister.
• You should not be forced into marriage.

Convert registered partnership to marriage?

Contact the Public Center.

A special civil registrar (babs) will perform the marriage or register the partnership. You can ask at the Public Center about three weeks in advance which officiant will perform the marriage.

The wedding officiants are happy to introduce themselves to you!

Do you prefer a particular official? Please let us know and we will take this into account as much as possible. The wedding officiant will contact you to get acquainted and discuss your wishes for the speech.

Would you like to have your marriage performed by your "own" registrar, such as a family member or close friend? This is possible. He/she must be sworn in at the court as 'babs for 1 day'. Please indicate your desire for your own babs on the form 'Notification of intended marriage' (at the top of the page under the heading 'Directly arrange').

It is mandatory to have witnesses at a wedding. This can be two, three or four witnesses. Anyone over the age of 18 may be a witness. Submit to the marriage municipality a copy of the ID of your witnesses. If possible, do this when registering the marriage or registered partnership. Don't have your own witnesses? Then you can opt for witnesses from the municipality.

Getting married in Opsterland can be done in a variety of places. 

Municipal wedding location

Next to the town hall in Beetsterzwaag is the Lycklamahûs: a beautiful stately building on a vast garden. In the wedding hall of the Lycklamahûs there is room for 60 guests (excluding 4 witnesses). 

Permanent designated wedding venues 

In addition to the Lycklamahûs in Beetsterzwaag, the following locations have been designated as permanent wedding locations by the Municipal Board:

• Lauswolt country estate in Beetsterzwaag
• St. Hippolytus church in Olterterp
• The Slotplaats in Bakkeveen (contact the Public Center for this location)

Please note that you must make your own reservations for these locations. Location costs are at your own expense.

Own wedding location for 1 day

Do you want to get married at a different location? Then you can have a location designated as a wedding location for 1 day. Please indicate this during your 'Notification of intended marriage'.

Please note that no pets are allowed in the wedding room at the Lycklamahûs. With the exception of assistance/guide dogs.

Lycklamahûs

 Permanent designated wedding venues

Please note that these are the municipal fees. Please ask the venue rental fees at the venue itself.

Own wedding location for 1 day

Please note that these are the municipal fees. Please ask the venue rental fees at the venue itself.

Other costs

Special situations

In the following situations, we recommend that you contact the Public Center first. Additional documents may need to be turned in for the marriage. 

• You were born abroad.
• You do not have the Dutch nationality.
• You have lived or are currently living abroad.
• Your previous marriage was dissolved abroad.

You can get married in Opsterland free of charge on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 9:00 am. The Requirements are:

• at least one of the prospective spouses is a resident of Opsterland;
• there can be a maximum of two witnesses and no additional guests;
• you get married in a consulting room, not in the Lycklamahûs;
• a free completion takes about 10 minutes;
• the marriage ceremony consists only of the legally required formalities;
• there will be no speech.

Exception 

Is at least one of the spouses-to-be entitled to remission of (municipal) taxes? Then what is stated above does not apply. The marriage can be celebrated in the Lycklamahûs with a speech and in the presence of guests.