At Amsterdam Pride, dozens joined a lighthearted "Married For A Day" ceremony held near the site of the world’s first legal same-sex unions. The Netherlands, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2001, has seen more than 36,000 same-sex weddings, even as overall marriage rates have fallen from 56% in 1995 to 44% in 2025. Many Dutch couples now opt for legally binding cohabitation agreements; 42,500 were signed in 2025. Organisers and the prime minister say the event also underscores ongoing global pressures on LGBTQ+ rights.
Dozens 'Married For A Day' at Amsterdam Pride Near Site Of First Legal Same-Sex Unions
Guests create a human arch for a couple as they enter an inflatable chapel during a mass wedding ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)(AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)
Wearing rainbow flags, sequins and sometimes almost nothing at all, dozens of people queued inside a pink church during Amsterdam's Pride festival to be married — or at least to be "married for a day." The playful ceremony, called Married For A Day, took place a short walk from the canal houses where the world’s first legalized same-sex unions were registered 25 years ago.
Newlyweds Jan Derksen-Wynn, left, and John Wijfjes pose for photos after tying the knot during a mass wedding ceremony in an inflatable chapel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)(AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)
The event mixed celebration and protest: joyful costumes and ceremonial vows set against a broader conversation about the meaning of marriage today. For many participants, the rite reaffirmed the importance of having the right to marry. Jan Derksen-Wynn, one half of the first pair to be wed that day, said, "You have to have the right to get married," as a breeze sent his veil fluttering across his face. He and partner John Wijfjes said they plan to marry permanently in time — "it's only been two years," Derksen-Wynn added.
Julia van den Beek officiates during a mass wedding ceremony in an inflatable chapel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)(AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)
Same-Sex Marriage: A Dutch Legacy
The Netherlands led the world by legalizing same-sex marriage in 2001. Since then, more than 36,000 same-sex couples have wed, according to the national statistics office. The milestone is part of Dutch social history — and a point of pride at the festival.
Newlyweds pose for photos after tying the knot during a mass wedding ceremony in an inflatable chapel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)(AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)
Changing Attitudes Toward Marriage
At the same time, marriage as an institution has waned across Dutch society. In 1995, 56% of adults were married; by 2025 that share had fallen to 44%, official data show. Many couples are choosing cohabitation agreements instead — legally binding contracts that set out financial arrangements and asset division if a relationship ends. The Dutch notary association reported 42,500 such contracts were signed in 2025.
A couple prepare to exchange vows during a mass wedding ceremony in an inflatable chapel in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)(AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)
Political Spotlight
Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the Netherlands' first openly gay head of government, has said he plans to marry his partner, Nicolás Keenan — an Argentine field hockey player who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jetten was also the first Dutch prime minister to take part in the festival's famed canal boat parade. He told crowds the event matters now more than ever because freedom and safety for LGBTQ+ people "is under pressure with new discriminatory legislation, lack of safety on the street or last week's terrible attack in Berlin."
"Love comes in every shape, in every form, in every way," organiser Julia van den Beek said before declaring the first pair married for the day — a brief, joyful reminder of why the ritual still resonates.
The Married For A Day ceremony blends celebration, history and political message: a colorful reaffirmation of rights in a city that helped start the modern movement for marriage equality — at least until sunrise.
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