CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Whenever Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday, a Harrison County judge presides over happy couples instead of defendants and plaintiffs.
Circuit Court Judge Thomas A. Bedell holds a group wedding ceremony on Feb. 14 for couples who want to participate. This year’s noon ceremoney will mark the 12th time he has held the event.
“Part of the fun is just to see who shows up at 12 o’clock on Feb. 14,” Bedell told The Exponent Telegram (https://bit.ly/1nEw3RL ).
Eight to 12 couples normally participate in the group ceremony, Bedell said. They can bring whoever they want to the courtroom, which holds about 100 people.
“It’s something that’s fun for all the participants … we try to make memorable for everybody,” he said.
Kim Martin, administrative assistant for the Harrison County Prosecutor’s Office, has watched the ceremony from the gallery since 2003.
“It’s nice to see something positive in the courtroom,” Martin told the newspaper. He later added that “it seems like the participants are always happy and enjoy themselves.”
Bedell said the circuit “always did a large number of individual weddings on Valentine’s Day.”
“It got to be where I’d take the whole day to do nothing but nuptials,” he said. “I thought if Sun Myung Moon could marry 20,000 in a football stadium, we ought to be able to do more than one at a time in Harrison County.”
Photographs are allowed before, during and after the ceremony. Roses, a post-wedding cake and some gifts are provided by sponsors. There also is a best kiss contest for the newlyweds, with the audience helping judge the results.
Bedell also will perform individual wedding ceremonies on Valentine’s Day. But couples must call the judge’s office in advance to reserve a time.
This year’s group ceremony will be the last until Feb. 14, 2017, because Valentine’s Day falls on Saturday in 2015 and Sunday in 2016.
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Information from: The Exponent Telegram, https://www.cpubco.com
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