Getting Married in Voorschoten

Getting married.

General Information

You’re getting married or entering into a registered partnership! It’s an exciting time with all the preparations. There are a few things you’ll need to arrange with the municipality. Here you can find more information about these matters, the wedding venues in Voorschoten, and our marriage officiants. The same preparations apply to both a marriage and a registered partnership.

Notice of Intended Marriage (Pre-marriage Registration)

Before you get married or enter into a registered partnership, you must file a notice of intended marriage. This used to be called the “notice of marriage.” You must do this at least 14 days and no more than 1 year before your wedding. Make sure you have your witnesses’ information ready when you file the notice. You must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 witnesses. They must be at least 18 years old and have valid identification. You can file a notice of intended marriage online with the municipality of Voorschoten. Both partners will need a DigiD to do this. You will then select the wedding date, the location, and the name of the officiant.  This selection is not yet final. After you submit your application, the municipality will review your choices and then contact you.

When can you not file a digital report?

In some situations, you should first contact the municipality by calling 14 071 or sending an email to trouwen@voorschoten.nl. This is because you may need to submit additional documents before the marriage or registered partnership can take place. Please contact us if any of the following situations apply to you:

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

Notify Authorities of an Intended Marriage

Converting a Registered Partnership to a Marriage

Are you in a registered partnership and would you like to marry your registered partner? If so, you can convert your registered partnership into a marriage. To do this, you and your partner will need a DigiD. You choose your date, your location, and your officiant. You do not need to file a notice. The conversion takes place without witnesses.

Converting a Registered Partnership to a Marriage

The marriage officiant

You will be married by a (special) civil registrar. If you choose a free or simple ceremony, the municipality of Voorschoten will determine which registrar will marry you. If you choose a more elaborate ceremony, you can indicate your preferred registrar when you file your notice of intended marriage.

As soon as the municipality of Voorschoten has confirmed that the wedding officiant will conduct the ceremony, the wedding officiant will schedule a meeting with you to plan the detailed ceremony. During this meeting, you can share your wishes and ideas for your wedding day.

Click here to view the marriage officiants for the municipality of Voorschoten.

One-time wedding officiant

Would you like to be married by someone you know? That’s also possible in the municipality of Voorschoten. We have the following requirements for serving as a special civil registrar (BABS) for one day:

  • the person in question holds a valid appointment as a marriage officiant and has been sworn in by the court, or;
  • The person in question has completed training as a marriage officiant and has been or will be sworn in at the court;
  • We must receive your request no later than 3 months before the wedding date or the date of the registered partnership.

There is a fee associated with being appointed as a one-day wedding officiant. If you’d like to avoid the fee or if your chosen friend or relative does not meet the requirements, you can also have your friend or relative deliver the speech only. In that case, a wedding officiant from the municipality of Voorschoten will handle the official part of the ceremony: the exchange of vows and the signing of the marriage certificate.

Do you have any questions about a one-time BABS? Please contact us using the contact form below.

Wedding Officiant Contact Form 

Wedding Venues in Voorschoten

Voorschoten has several beautiful venues for your wedding ceremony. Click here to view all wedding venues in Voorschoten.

You are responsible for making the reservation with the venue manager. Please keep in mind that the venue owner may also charge additional fees. You should then indicate the venue where you wish to get married in your notice of intended marriage.

Get married at home or at another location in Voorschoten

In Voorschoten, it is also possible to get married at a location of your choice. In our municipality, you can get married at your home or at another location. The request for this must be submitted at least 3 months before the wedding. You can indicate this when you file your notice of intended marriage.

Do you have any questions about our wedding venues? Please contact us using the contact form below.

Wedding Venues Contact Form

Witnesses

At a wedding, there must be a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 witnesses present. If you do not have any witnesses of your own, the municipality can arrange them for you. Are you opting for a free ceremony? If so, please note that only the bride and groom and 2 witnesses will be present. Further down this page, you’ll find the options for the various ceremonies.

Costs for 2026

The following fees apply for a wedding ceremony in the Council Chamber of City Hall:
Monday through Thursday€ 561,60
Friday€ 747,40
Saturday through Sunday€ 1046,15
Simple ceremony (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.)€ 305,30
The municipal fees for a wedding ceremony held at a location other than City Hall are as follows:
Monday through Friday€ 481,25
Saturday through Sunday€ 530,15
This does not include the cost of the wedding venue.
Trouw/GP booklet€ 35,05
If you do not bring your own witness but use a witness provided by the municipality€ 35,05
One-time BABS€ 96,25
Certificates of Eligibility to Marry€ 31,10
Excerpts, documents€ 17,80

Fees for Canceling a Free Ceremony

  • If you reschedule or cancel between 3 months and 2 weeks before the wedding date or civil partnership registration, the municipality will charge €55.
  • If you reschedule or cancel within 2 weeks of the wedding date or civil partnership registration, the municipality will charge €85.
  • If you do not show up, or if you arrive so late that the ceremony cannot take place, the municipality will charge €110.

Fees for changing or canceling an elaborate or simple wedding ceremony or civil partnership registration 

If you cancel the marriage ceremony or the registration of a civil partnership, you are entitled to a refund of a portion of the fees. The refund amounts to:

  • If you reschedule or cancel between 3 months and 2 weeks before the wedding date or registration date, you will be charged 50% of the filing fee.
  • If you postpone or cancel within 2 weeks of the wedding date or registration date, you will be charged 100% of the administrative fees.
  • If you fail to appear or arrive so late for the wedding ceremony or civil partnership registration that the ceremony cannot proceed, no refund of the fees will be issued.

Ceremony

Getting Married for Free

You can get married free of charge on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. in the consultation room. This option is available only if at least one of you is registered with the municipality of Voorschoten. Would you like a marriage certificate or a civil partnership registration certificate? In that case, you will have to pay the associated fees. During the free ceremony, the registrar will welcome you and then proceed directly to the ceremony itself. This involves exchanging vows and signing the certificate. Only the bride and groom and the two witnesses are present at this ceremony.

A simple ceremony

Effective March 1, 2026, simple ceremonies will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays (at 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.) in the “De Zilverfabriek” meeting room at the Voorschoten City Hall. You will be married by a marriage officiant, and a maximum of 10 people may attend the ceremony. This includes the bride and groom, witnesses, and the photographer. The marriage officiant will welcome you and then proceed directly to the ceremony itself—that is, the exchange of vows and the signing of the marriage certificate. You will not have a preparatory meeting with the marriage officiant, and there will be no speech during a simple ceremony. It is also not possible to play music or invite a guest speaker.

You or your partner do not have to live in Voorschoten to take part in the simple wedding ceremony.

Extensive ceremony

An elaborate wedding ceremony offers more room for personal touches. The price depends on the chosen venue, the day, and the time of the ceremony. Prior to the wedding, there is always a preparatory meeting with the wedding officiant. During this meeting, your wishes and the order of the ceremony will be discussed.

You can get married in the Council Chamber of City Hall or at a location of your choice within Voorschoten. You may have music played during the ceremony. You are also permitted to invite guest speakers.

Would you like to play music during the ceremony in the Council Chamber? If so, you can test the system with the usher well in advance of the ceremony date. You can submit the music you’d like in two ways:

  • Via a USB flash drive.
  • Via Bluetooth with a Spotify playlist.

On the form you receive from us, you can indicate which three songs you would like to have played. Would you like to tour the Council Chamber and test the sound system? If so, please send an email to facilitair@voorschoten.nl.

For weddings held in the Council Chamber, the maximum number of guests is 40. This includes the bride and groom, witnesses, and the photographer. For other venues, the maximum number of guests is determined in consultation with the venue manager.

You or your partner do not have to live in Voorschoten to participate in the full wedding ceremony.

Conversion of a Registered Partnership to Marriage

You can convert your registered partnership into a marriage. To do so, you must sign the conversion certificate. No witnesses are required, and you do not need to exchange vows. The conversion can take place free of charge at the counter, but you may also opt for a simple or elaborate ceremony.

Use of Names

If you are getting married or registering your civil partnership, you can notify the municipality of the last name you wish to use. You do this at the municipality where you live. This may be a different municipality than the one where you were married. Click here for more information about the use of surnames.

Options

The emphasis regarding the use of names is on “use”: your own (legal) last name does not change. Dutch name law does not provide for this. As a Dutch citizen married in the Netherlands, you therefore always retain your own last name. This is also evident, for example, from the marriage certificate and the marriage record. These documents list the last name before marriage and the last name after marriage. For Dutch citizens, this is always the same.

You can both choose from the following options:

  • Proper noun;
  • Partner's name;
  • Partner's name, followed by your own name;
  • First name, followed by the partner's name.

You can request a change to your name in the following ways:

Marriage or civil partnership under the community property regime or a prenuptial/civil partnership agreement

For more information, visit the national government's website at .

When referring to "bride and groom," "marriage," "getting married," and "wedding day," these terms also refer to "registered partners," "registered partnership," "registering a partnership," and "partnership day," respectively.  

Other Terms and Conditions

  • It is not permitted to scatter items such as confetti or rice in and around City Hall.
  • Pets are not allowed during the ceremony, with the exception of service animals.
  • For environmental reasons, the municipality advises against releasing balloons.

Contact

Do you have any questions or would you like more information about getting married in Voorschoten? Please feel free to contact us using the contact formor send an email totrouwen@voorschoten.nl.

You can also send a letter to the following mailing address: P.O. Box 393, 2250 AJ, Voorschoten.