Surrounded by family and framed by an arch of pink and red balloons, Franklin County couples tied the knot at the courthouse on Valentine’s Day, many with teary eyes.
Dressed in white, cultural attire or their Sunday best, couples picked up their marriage licenses and exchanged vows before Franklin County Municipal Court judges in a one-stop celebration.
Aiming to add a little sparkle to the typically no-frills courthouse nuptials, Franklin County Probate Court transformed itself into a wedding chapel.
The Franklin County Municipal and Probate courts partnered to open the courthouse on a Saturday, giving couples the chance to marry on the holiday.
Ceremonies ran from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The record remains 105 Valentine’s Day marriages, set in 2025.
A rotation of Municipal Court judges stood ready to officiate a steady stream of marriages.
Judges Jim O’Grady, Mike McCallister and Bill Hedrick described their friendly annual contest to see who can marry the most couples.
Hedrick, as he proudly reminded his colleagues, is the reigning champion.
The annual Valentine’s Day program reduces cost for couples: With the Municipal Court fee waived, they paid only the $65 marriage-license fee.
Municipal Court Judge Zach Gwin was among those who volunteer to come in on a Saturday morning to marry the couples. He said he was surprised by how many showed up.
Nonetheless, 67 couples arrived to get married on Valentine’s Day 2026.
Gwin said seeing the diversity of the couples – and their wedding attire – is one of his favorite parts of the program.
“I always ask folks how they met, and it’s always funny to see folks who get introduced by cousins or friends,” Gwin said. “And just the increase in the number of people who all meet online nowadays. It seems to be the majority of folks that I see come through.”
Kindness and religion reporter Sophia Veneziano may be reached at sveneziano@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County courthouse transforms for Valentine’s Day weddings
Reporting by Sophia Veneziano, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
