It’s Valentine’s Day, and at the Bernalillo County building downtown, that means weddings. Eight of them.
Joe Alarid and Cindy Gutierrez decided to get married just a couple of weeks ago.
“I heard it on the TV, and I asked her, ‘Let’s get married on Valentine’s Day,’” Alarid said. “And she thought about it and she says, ‘Yeah, I’ll be happy to do that.’”
She said it was a no-brainer because they met 20 years ago… in the county clerk’s office.
County Clerk Linda Stover has been doing Valentine’s Day weddings for seven years. Most regular days, she goes without a wedding, but on February 14th, she offers to do them for free every half hour.
“I don’t think there’s a greater gift that you can give anyone than happiness, and today, that’s what we’re giving every single couple that comes through here, is a little bit of happiness,” she said.
Couples came out onto the rooftop one at a time with friends and family. They said their vows in front of an arch decorated with flowers and the Sandias as a backdrop.
“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride. Happy Valentine’s Day, you too,” Stover said as they kissed.
Alarid and Gutierrez said they’re not sure they’ll find a table still open on Valentine’s Day to celebrate, but that’s ok.
“In our life, nothing will change, except that now we are legally married. That’s all,” he said. “But the love is greater than ever, the happiness is still yet all to be fulfilled, and today was a beautiful day.”
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
