Clerk of Court Prepares for 3rd Edition of Valentine’s Day Mass Wedding on Courthouse Steps

“This is the third of what has become an annual event. Last year’s ceremony was a memorable occasion that was special for us as well as participants. We hope the community will look forward to celebrating this event with us,” Bexley said. “We are always thankful to the couples who allow us to participate in their day, and if last year’s event is any indication, this one will be equally as special.”

There were 11 marriages and five vow renewals last year, including a renewal for a couple that had married a quarter century earlier, and the tradition’s very first same-sex marriage, between two women. The ceremony was enriched–as it will be again this time–by attention to detail and the work of Bexley’s staff, who volunteer time, money and extra-curricular energy to preparing what amounts to a wedding party for scores of people, when friends and family are included. Antoinette Hollingsworth, a deputy clerk in the finance division, coordinated many amenities with her colleagues, including goodie bags and pastries, a lot of it paid out of her own pocket.

The ceremony is limited to the first 25 couples that apply, with Bexley, always buttoned up to the nines (even more than usual) offering the vows and a few nudges of wisdom.

It is also enriched by the musical presence of the Flagler Youth Orchestra septet, whose high school performers–the cream of the Youth Orchestra’s hundreds of musicians– sit in a semi-circle at the top of the courthouse steps and play as the couples line up for the vows.

“While I may suggest pieces to begin with or to avoid during a gig, the students really take the initiative to select the pieces they’re going to play. Nearly all of the music in their gig binders is appropriate for a wedding,” says FYO Executive Director Cheryl Tristam. “The couples and their guests can expect to hear Mouret’s “Rondeau”, some Bach and Handel, and if all goes well, maybe even an Elvis tune.”

The group generally plays 12 to 15 such gigs a year (it played three on three successive evenings last weekend, including the sheriff’s annual gala at Hammock Beach), with the clerk’s Valentine’s Day wedding now on its must-play repertoire. “As with every gig we participate in, music adds something to an event like no other element. Often the feedback we receive is something along the lines of, ‘they really added a classy element,’ which thrills me to know it was possible because of a group of teenagers sharing their talents,” Tristam said.

Bexley is waiving the usual $30 fee that goes along with weddings at the courthouse, but the standard license fees of $86 still applies. To participate, couples must sign-up and complete their application for marriage license by Feb. 11.

Couples will receive a special Certificate of Marriage commemorating the special day.

For more information, contact the Recording Department at 386-313-4360, Kim C. Hammond Justice Center (the Flagler County courthouse), 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Building #1, Bunnell, Florida.

To easily register for the Valentine’s Day Ceremony online at the Clerk of Court’s website, click here.