Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts weds 30 couples in first-ever group ceremony on Valentine’s Day

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Love is most certainly in the air this Valentine’s Day and 30 couples celebrated their big day Tuesday by getting married in Miami-Dade County’s first-ever group ceremony.

The services were conducted by the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Marriage License Bureau on the historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse steps.

The ceremonies were complimentary to the 30 participating couples, but the newlyweds were still required to apply for and obtain a marriage license prior to registering for the group ceremony event.

Florida has a mandatory three-day waiting period for Florida residents, so those couples were asked to obtain their licenses by Friday in order to participate in Tuesday’s ceremony.

“We are very excited to be able to add this special touch to the wedding days of these 30 couples, and it will be our Valentine’s Day gift to the community,” said Luis G. Montaldo, Ad Interim Clerk of Courts.

One newlywed told Local 10 News that he was happy to tie the knot early because he knows that next year, it won’t be as easy to find a spot.

“It’s the perfect day because next year when it’s Valentine’s Day, it’s double celebration,” he said.

Pablo Palacio showed up to the courthouse with an injured foot and told Local 10 News that nothing could get in the way of his big day.

“Nothing was going to stop me,” said Palacio. “I prepared a long (time) for this and I’ve been real, real happy.”

For more information about license requirements and fees, visit the Clerk’s Marriage License Bureau web page at: miami-dadeclerk.com.


About the Authors:

Annaliese Garcia joined Local 10 News in January 2020. Born and raised in Miami, she graduated from the University of Miami, where she studied broadcast journalism. She began her career at Univision. Before arriving at Local 10, she was with NBC2 (WBBH-TV) covering Southwest Florida. She's glad to be back in Miami!

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.