Flemish Minister Investigates Mandatory Free Wedding Ceremonies
Flemish Minister of Interior Hilde Crevits (CD&V) has announced a legal investigation into whether all 304 municipalities in Flanders and Brussels should be required to offer at least one free wedding ceremony per week. The proposal, announced in the Flemish Parliament on June 16, aims to ensure that civil marriage remains accessible to all couples regardless of where they live.
The announcement follows a comprehensive investigation by VRT NWS that revealed stark disparities in wedding costs across the region. In roughly 160 out of 304 municipalities, couples cannot marry for free on any day of the week, with Saturday wedding prices ranging from €0 to €350.
The Price of Saying “I Do”
The VRT NWS investigation, which surveyed all 304 Flemish and Brussels municipalities, found that 102 municipalities — one in three — raised their wedding tariffs in 2026. This was driven partly by rising personnel costs and new multi-year budget plans that all local authorities were required to draw up this year.
Dilbeek in Vlaams-Brabant emerged as the most expensive municipality at €350 for a Saturday wedding, followed by Etterbeek at €335 and Ghent at €333. At the other end of the spectrum, Limburg province offers the cheapest average Saturday wedding cost at just €48, while nearly 20 percent of municipalities still offer completely free Saturday ceremonies.
According to the investigation, 9 municipalities eliminated free Saturday weddings in 2026, with Watermaal-Bosvoorde making the most dramatic shift — going from free to €265. Meanwhile, 4 municipalities reduced their tariffs, including Liedekerke, which cut prices by €100.
A Question of Legal Principle
Minister Crevits has framed the issue as a matter of fundamental public service. “The solemnization of marriage, the marriage declaration, and the drawing up of the marriage certificate are part of the legal core tasks of the municipality,” she told VRT NWS. “The municipality may not charge costs for these because they are legal core tasks of the local government.”
Speaking in the Commission for Internal Affairs of the Flemish Parliament, Crevits responded to a question from MP Sarah T’Joens (Vlaams Belang) by stating: “I think it’s a very good idea that, regardless of the municipality where you live, you should always have the opportunity to use that service free of charge at least once.”
However, the minister acknowledged that significant price differences between municipalities are not inherently problematic, provided local authorities are transparent about their offerings. She noted that Saturday weddings at special locations or those including receptions and refreshments could reasonably carry fees.
Municipal Autonomy vs. Equal Access
The proposal has brought to the fore a fundamental tension in Belgian governance: the balance between municipal fiscal autonomy and the guarantee of equal access to basic services.
Professor Bram Verschuere of Ghent University, a public administration expert, explained to VRT NWS that “municipalities can fully determine their own prices because they are fiscally autonomous. That naturally leads to it being cheaper in one municipality than another.”
Nathalie Debast of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) defended local autonomy, stating: “There is indeed no uniform tariff because local authorities are not counters of a national government. They are democratically elected authorities that make their own choices.”
The issue is compounded by the fact that couples cannot choose where to marry — the ceremony must take place in the municipality where at least one partner is registered as a resident. This makes price disparities particularly impactful for couples with limited means.
Political Reactions
Sarah T’Joens, who raised the issue in parliament, was emphatic in her criticism of the current system. In a press release, she stated: “Marriage is not a luxury product. Those who wish to marry under the law should not be confronted with inexplicable differences between municipalities. Your marriage should not depend on your postal code.”
The phenomenon of “wedding tourism” has also emerged as a factor. Dilbeek Mayor Stijn Quaghebeur (N-VA) explained that his municipality raised Saturday prices to €350 partly because couples from more expensive neighboring Brussels municipalities were flocking to Dilbeek’s picturesque Kasteel de Viron. “This created the phenomenon that a Brussels resident who wanted to marry someone from Dilbeek almost always chose to marry with us. That brought too many people,” he told VRT NWS.
What’s Next
The legal investigation ordered by Minister Crevits will determine whether the Flemish government can mandate free wedding ceremonies without overstepping municipal autonomy. Key questions remain: Would the regional government provide compensation for lost revenue? How would enforcement work for non-compliant municipalities? And would the rule apply to Brussels as well?
For now, couples planning their weddings face a patchwork of prices that can vary by hundreds of euros depending on their postal code — a situation the minister has pledged to address.