Tying the knot: Couples get married at Metropolitan Court on Valentine's Day

Love was in the air at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Valentine’s 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.

“It’s a public service, and we are public servants,” 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.

“It’s so much fun,” Sedillo said. “Love and commitment can mean different things to each couple, but on their wedding day, they have the same meaning for everyone.”

Couples of all types joined under the roof of the Downtown Albuquerque courthouse for one purpose: to join in matrimony on Feb. 14.

“We’ve been planning to get married since November, but family came, and we had to postpone, so we decided to do it today,” said newlywed bride Reyna Cazares.

Joined by now-husband Kyrin Yazzie, the pair — who have been together for four years — said the courthouse wedding was not only romantic, but also convenient for their schedules.

“It’s romantic, and it lined up perfectly,” Yazzie added. “We won’t forget our wedding anniversary, so that’s good.”

Corban Mejia and Alex Saenz said they chose to get married on Valentine’s Day to enjoy the romance, but also for the ease.

“The best part about it is that the wedding was like that,” Meija said as he snapped his fingers. “I’m 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’ve always admired and loved to be around him.”

Other couples, like Charles and Evelyn Broad, said the Valentine’s Day wedding allowed them to get married sooner than what the courthouse availability allowed.

“It 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’s Day, so it kind of worked out nicely,” Charles Broad said.

The couple, joined by their closest friends, said this Valentine’s 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.

“I think it’s special because it’s 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’s Day,” Evelyn Broad said. “It’s so special, and it’s no longer Valentine’s Day, it’s our anniversary.”