NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Couples who get married in a courthouse say there are a lot of upsides.
The weddings are intimate, take little time to plan, and are much more affordable than the alternatives.
On this Valentine's Day, the Davidson County courthouse teemed with brides and grooms. And one courtroom, in particular, was wedding central.
Six years ago, Judge Allegra Walker was hit by Cupid's arrow, and ever since, she has set aside Valentine's Day for a marriage marathon.
If she were to add it up, she's probably married 75 to 100 couples on Valentine's over the years.
"I'm in Domestic Violence Court. So, the things that we deal with are pretty... you know, they're down a lot," said Judge Allegra Walker. "It's just serious stuff. So, I wanted an opportunity to, first of all, give back to the community and do something that's fun, just to bring it up and bring the energy up."
Different paths led the couples to Judge Walker's Court for her Day Of Love And Marriage event.
"Neither of us have been huge Valentine's people until... until today! Until we saw that advertisement and we said maybe we can make Valentine's special in a new way," said Candace Matthews, a bride.
Come to find out, more people searched Google for "courthouse wedding" in January than ever before. And with Valentine's Day falling on a Friday this year, it wasn't surprising that the courthouse in Nashville was packed with brides in white dresses and grooms in suits.
Deon and Kastina Dismukes have been talking about marriage for several years.
After their civil ceremony in Judge Walker's court, the Dismukes say they can't picture their day any other way.
"She been wanting to get married for like three or four years now. Now was the best time to just do it," said Deon Dismukes.
Other than the marriage license, court ceremonies are free.
It takes a village! Hats off to the Wilson County Rotary clubs for investing in our kids in such a tangible way. Putting 100,000 books in the hands of little learners is something to celebrate. I love that they store the books in a bank vault — they truly are priceless!
-Carrie Sharp
