Lubbock County judge plays cupid for jam-packed day of courthouse weddings

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - While people may take a long lunch to spend some time with their better half on Valentine’s Day, it’s one of the busiest workdays of the year for Lubbock County Judge Susan Rowley.

Rowley, Justice of the Peace for Precinct Two, presided over the weddings for sixteen brides and grooms, as they celebrated Valentine’s Day by saying “I do.”

Rowley knows this is one of life’s biggest moments, so she tries to take the time to make sure all of the little details are just right, like name pronunciations, and works to learn each couple’s story.

Even if you forget the rings, she’s got you covered. One couple was planning to get married this summer, but decided to go ahead and go to the courthouse for Valentine’s Day, and they didn’t have rings, yet. That’s where Rowley’s Ring Pop candies came in handy.

“We were supposed to get married in June, on June seventh, and I just walked up to her one day and pointed at the calendar, randomly, random date and everything, just pointed. Why don’t we get married on that day? And it just happened to be Valentine’s Day,” one groom, Joseph Bell, said.

Rowley says she’s probably presided over thousands of weddings over the years. She’s seen her fair share of surprises, including one this holiday, as two cousins unknowingly showed up to get married one after the other.

She decorated her courtroom with pink and red hearts, candies and chocolates, proving even the courthouse can create a priceless memory.

“I’ve heard great things about judge Rowley, that it is very nice to come and get married by her,” another bride, Alyssa Jaimes, said. “And it’s close to home and fitted our budget.”

Rowley tries to make sure the whole family feels involved, and makes sure each kiss is unforgettable.

“Everybody has their own really unique story of how they met and how they fell in love,” Judge Rowley said. “And it’s it makes me feel so good to be able to be a participant in such a wonderful thing.”