Did the Pandemic change our city’s Valentine’s Day weddings at the courthouse tradition? On Valentines Day for over 30 years now, it has been our city’s tradition to host mass weddings at the San Antonio’s Bexar County Courthouse steps free of charge. It sounds bizarre doesn’t it?
We’ve all heard of the best friends getting married on the same day or having a set of twins having a double wedding, but a mass wedding with hundreds of couples you don’t know? It’s actually pretty romantic.
Recently I captured a wedding down at the Bexar County Courthouse. It was a quick intimate wedding with a few close relatives to witness. The steps were blocked off as the courthouse entrance on that side of the building is closed to help keep track of the traffic in and out of the building during these times (thanks Rona!). It was still a beautiful and special day and the couple Elizabeth and Andrew were completely unconcerned with anything going on around them. Notice the big forklift changing out a lightbulb as they prepared for the ceremony. Thanks for moving mister!. That was a completely sweet and very much appreciated gesture.
This wedding and all this chaos had me thinking about that one time I photographed a couple getting married on Valentine’s day on those same steps.
With well over 400 weddings under my belt each one no matter how large or small are each uniquely special to me. I guess that’s what happens when I let myself fall in love with my couples. However, that Valentine’s Day wedding. I fell hard!
I think it was the excitement of the hundreds of couples all joyful and enamored with one another. Everyone had love in their eyes. It reminded me of those Looney Tune Cartoons with the skunk that had hearts for eyes and would chase the cat. Am I showing my age here? Well, this story was a little different in that the two both had hearts in their eyes. In fact all the couples did!
Between the cold night, bright hot video lights and the news casters all talking at once trying to capture their own angle and story, there I was a girl and her camera freezing and shivering with joy for all the love surrounding her.
The judge gave a beautiful ceremony and all the couples kissed at the strike of midnight and the crowd cheered. This past wedding at the Courthouse was a little different. Masks were worn and after the ceremony they planned a private socially distanced lunch. It had me wonder, what would this year’s Valentine’s day event look like?
Well, it was no surprise that the city has decided to cancel the traditional mass wedding this year. They are however trying to keep true with the tradition and will be providing free weddings throughout the month of February. On Friday, February 12th Lucy Adame-Clark will be performing free wedding ceremonies on the courthouse steps every half hour between the hours of 9-5am. They are limiting it to two couples per time slot and a donation of $20 to the Battered Women and Children’s shelter is appreciated but not required. For more details please feel free to call 210-335-2625.
Valentine’s Day is a day marked with love and if you had a wedding postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic this may be a way to turn that memory into a little part of our cities history. Please feel free to reach out to me for more details on booking a photographer for your time slot. Happy Valentine’s Day! May your Valentine’s Day be full of love.
