BY BILL DONOVAN
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
GALLUP — It was marrying day in Gallup Tuesday.
Men and women from all over the county came to the McKinley County Courthouse throughout the day to take advantage of Valentine’s Day to get married in the courthouse rotunda.
It’s a program that the county has sponsored for decades as a way to honor the holiday and give couples in the county an inexpensive wedding that they and their families will remember for the rest of their lives.
A total of 28 couples came in during the day, many as walk-ins, to get hitched by either a judge or a pastor who volunteered their services for the day.
Among those who showed up were Dion Lemy from Zuni and Alyssia Bryant from Naschitti, New Mexico, a couple who had met a year ago when she got her hair cut at his barber shop. She loved the work he did on her hair so much that a romance blossomed.
In a wedding gown, she glowed as she walked down the aisle to where her soon-to-be husband and Probate Judge Charles Long Sr. were waiting. The ceremony itself took only a few minutes but the couple stayed around for more than 15 minutes enjoying the occasion with friends and family.
“We thought it being Valentine’s Day, it would be a good time to get married,” said the groom.
Like many of the couples that showed up on Tuesday, they brought family and friends who witnessed the ceremony and took photos with their cell phones.
The rotunda had been decorated as a wedding chapel and wedding cake was provided for the newlyweds and their guests.
“We do this as a convenience for people,” said Marlene Custer, McKinley County deputy clerk who helped organize the event and made sure everything went smoothly on a couple’s most important day.
Besides Long, Gallup Magistrate Judge Kenneth Howard Jr.
And the Rev. Ty Platero, pastor of the nearby Journey Church, were on hand for part of the day to help wed the couples.
Custer pointed out that not only was this more romantic than just appearing before a judge in his chambers, it was also inexpensive. There was no charge for the ceremony and the couple had to only pay the customary $25 fee for the marriage license that is mandatory in New Mexico.
“Everyone really enjoyed themselves,” she said.