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Tying the knot: Couples get married at Metropolitan Court on Valentine's Day
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Love was in the air at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Valentine鈥檚 Day, as 55 couples lined up at the courthouse to tie the knot.
For the 25th year, the court offered free weddings to the public for the day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a public service, and we are public servants,鈥� said Judge Frank Sedillo, who retired this year but returned to the courthouse for the day to perform weddings.
Sedillo spearheaded the idea of performing several weddings on the day of love, and the tradition has continued for a quarter-century.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun,鈥� Sedillo said. 鈥淟ove and commitment can mean different things to each couple, but on their wedding day, they have the same meaning for everyone.鈥�
Couples of all types joined under the roof of the Downtown Albuquerque courthouse for one purpose: to join in matrimony on Feb. 14.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been planning to get married since November, but family came, and we had to postpone, so we decided to do it today,鈥� said newlywed bride Reyna Cazares.
Joined by now-husband Kyrin Yazzie, the pair 鈥� who have been together for four years 鈥� said the courthouse wedding was not only romantic, but also convenient for their schedules.
鈥淚t鈥檚 romantic, and it lined up perfectly,鈥� Yazzie added. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 forget our wedding anniversary, so that鈥檚 good.鈥�
Corban Mejia and Alex Saenz said they chose to get married on Valentine鈥檚 Day to enjoy the romance, but also for the ease.
鈥淭he best part about it is that the wedding was like that,鈥� Meija said as he snapped his fingers. 鈥淚鈥檓 getting married because one of my favorite things about Alex is that I always see him take care of his friends, and he carries an independence that I鈥檝e always admired and loved to be around him.鈥�
Other couples, like Charles and Evelyn Broad, said the Valentine鈥檚 Day wedding allowed them to get married sooner than what the courthouse availability allowed.
鈥淚t kind of just worked out because we were trying to schedule one with the courthouse, but the schedule was so far in advance, and they do a lot of weddings on Valentine鈥檚 Day, so it kind of worked out nicely,鈥� Charles Broad said.
The couple, joined by their closest friends, said this Valentine鈥檚 Day was special in a different way, as the day symbolizes their decision to form a union and walk through the trials and tribulations of life together.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 special because it鈥檚 a day that symbolizes love, and we were talking about it on the way here that we would be able to look back in the future and realize we got married on Valentine鈥檚 Day,鈥� Evelyn Broad said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so special, and it鈥檚 no longer Valentine鈥檚 Day, it鈥檚 our anniversary.鈥�
