The Love Agency will wed more than 1,300 couples this summer – you can get married in a hot air balloon, for example   

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is also a Love Agency. Last year we wed 10,638 couples. People get married both during office hours in office buildings and outside office hours in places requested by the couples. 

A wedding is a celebration of love, in which the Digital and Population Data Services Agency plays an important role. The agency employs 140 officiators all around Finland. There is plenty of work for them especially in the summer, as well as over 1,300 marriage ceremonies have already been booked for June–August.  

Remember to book the marriage ceremony in time 

It is good to act well in advance if you want to get married during the popular summer months. In Helsinki, June and all summer Fridays have already been booked early in the spring, otherwise you must wait around one month to get married during office hours in the summer. In other localities, wedding bookings are less tight – you can get married after waiting around two to three weeks.  

“The popularity of Midsummer weddings is slowly rising, even though their number has decreased from the peak years. This Midsummer, we will wed eight couples across Finland,” says Head of Unit Ari Torkkel from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 

While the marriage ceremony rush slows down elsewhere in the country after August, the season only just begins in Lapland – winter is clearly the most popular season for weddings. 

Get married in the agency or your favourite place 

In the agency, you can get married free of charge on weekdays. In the evenings and weekends, you can order an officiator in a location selected by the couple for a fee. Officiators have been invited to the most creative locations: a chartered railcar, deep in the nature, festivals, an igloo and in a swamp football event.  

“We have wed people on land, at sea and in the air. A recent bridal couple jumped from a hot air balloon with a parachute after the ceremony,” Ari Torkkel recalls. 

Big or small wedding?  

Many choose a small-scale civil marriage ceremony, which includes two witnesses in addition to the couple and the officiator.  

“Summer weddings often have plenty of guests: the guest list of parties can exceed a hundred people. These guest numbers already correspond to the situation before the coronavirus pandemic. During the coronavirus years, the number of guests was typically around 20–30,” Ari Torkkel estimates. 

Remember the examination of impediments to marriage 

Before the marriage ceremony, couples must request an examination of impediments to marriage to ensure that there are no impediments to marriage, such as minor status or a valid marriage.  

“These days, you can easily request the examination of impediments via an electronic service. It is a good idea to make the request a few weeks before the marriage ceremony,” Ari Torkkel reminds couples.

There are many surname options 

Couples have many options for choosing a surname. When requesting an examination of impediments to marriage, the couple may indicate whether they want to adopt the surname of one of them or a compound name or rather keep their own names.  

“In recent years, keeping one’s own surname has become increasingly popular and, correspondingly, adopting the spouse’s name has become rarer. Less than half adopts their spouse’s last name. A small number of couples adopt a newly coined surname. This cannot be done in connection with the marriage ceremony. Instead, they must apply for a name change separately and well in advance,” says Ari Torkkel. 

For additional information: 

Head of Unit Ari Torkkel, tel. +358 295 536 515, [email protected]