Meet the Newlyweds Who Tied the Knot During Denver's Marriage Marathon

Love was in the air at City Hall on Valentine's Day — burning love.

Thirteen couples gathered outside of the Denver City and County Building on Wednesday, February 14, to say "I do" as part of the city's annual Marriage Marathon. Since 2008, this Valentine's Day tradition has wedded lovers old and young, from near and far, in a series of back-to-back ceremonies. This year, the couples got hitched to the sound of classic Elvis Presley songs, including the tune that inspired the 2024 theme: "Burning Love."

Some lucky pairs got the honor of being married by Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López, who was dressed as the King of Rock and Roll himself. The simultaneous ceremonies, held four at a time, were also officiated by retired news anchor Anne Trujillo and Denver City Council members Jamie Torres and Shontel Lewis.

"You don't have to fly to Las Vegas for Elvis to marry you," López says. "You've got refried Elvis right here in Denver."

Whether they'd been together for months or decades, Wednesday's lovebirds proved that it is possible to find a lifelong partner in Denver. Some were in and out in five minutes, running to the parking lot with marriage licenses in hand. Others set up shop with their families for an impromptu reception, complete with a bouquet toss from the courthouse steps.
"It's really sweet. There were a couple of times when I choked up a little bit," López says. "Love is love, and we have to defend it at all costs. People marrying each other is a big part of their lives. It's something that I take seriously. But it's also really fun to come out and have to wear a really tight polyester Elvis suit in the cold."

For better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, here's a look at some of the couples who tied the knot on Wednesday:

Laura (24) and Kevin (29)

Laura is from Colombia and Kevin is from Puerto Rico, but the pair came together in the Mile High City. They began their relationship just six months ago. "We love each other, we have a really great connection and we have a really good future upon us," Kevin says. They planned to get married in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day, but stumbled upon Denver's Marriage Marathon while doing research. By staying in the city, the couple was able to have family at the ceremony, Kevin says. Laura's mother and thirteen-year-old brother stood beside them as they said their vows.

Nick (29) and Luis (31)

After two years together, Nick and Luis "decided that today was the day" to take their relationship to the next level, Nick says: "Ain't no time like the present." Their wedding ceremony was crashed by Mayor Mike Johnston, who briefly passed through the Marriage Marathon. Johnston stopped to watch their vows and congratulated the newlyweds with hugs and handshakes. Nick calls it "a perfect day" — mostly because of how quickly they got it done: "We're just happy to be married and to get the paperwork over with."

Corrina (26) and Dakota (25)

Corrina and Dakota have been together since they were in middle school. The childhood sweethearts traveled to Denver from their home in Charlotte, North Carolina, just for the Marriage Marathon, which they discovered after Corrina searched for the easiest place to get married. "Things were just not working out in Charlotte, and it worked out here," Corrina says. "It was beautiful, it was easy, it was smooth, it was perfect. I loved this." Dakota adds, "The Lord brought us out here. ... It's all lining up perfectly."

Julia (31) and Bronson (37)

Julia and Bronson got engaged last July; after starting the wedding planning process, they realized it would take a while before they would be able to "plan something right" with all of their out-of-state family. So in the meantime, the couple of more than four years decided on a courthouse wedding. "We were going to get it signed quick anyway, so might as well make it a little more fun," Julia says. The Denver residents expect to have a traditional ceremony down the line, but for now, they wanted to "just do this for us," Bronson says. "So we did."

Eudocia (44) and Pedro (49)

Eudocia and Pedro have been together for 22 years and share two children, but they never got around to getting legally married. Their daughter, Aremy, signed her parents up for the Marriage Marathon on a whim. "I went online, and I was like, 'I'm going to get my parents married,'" Aremy says with a laugh. "It was something special for them to do." Luckily, Eudocia and Pedro agreed to go through with the ceremony. Aremy and her brother, Bruno, attended the wedding alongside their parents.

Diana (36) and Eric (35)

Diana and Eric are both from Denver and have been dating for a year. Why did they decide to get married, and during a Marriage Marathon at that? Simple, Eric says: "Because it's Valentine's Day."

Maricendi (33) and Mary (38)

Maricendi proposed to Mary last year after four years as a couple. They had planned to have an outdoor wedding, so when they saw the Marriage Marathon ceremony would be held outside the City and County Building across from Civic Center Park, it seemed like "a great opportunity to do it," Maricendi says. They requested to be married by Councilwoman Jamie Torres, with whom they have collaborated on community work. "We were really excited to have her be part of our special day," Maricendi says. Over a dozen of the newlyweds' friends and family members came to cheer them on, and the guests all signed the couple's marriage license as witnesses.

Ellie (18) and Rogelio (18)

The youngest couple of the day, Ellie and Rogelio are both only eighteen, but they've been together for around four years, they say. Rogelio is from Colorado, while Ellie is from Idaho. She traveled to the Mile High City just for their wedding. When asked why the pair decided to tie the knot, Rogelio says, "I don't know, I love her," as the lovebirds giggled to each other.

Erika (32) and Hugo (39)

Erika and Hugo are both from Mexico but they now live in Denver. They have been together for two and a half years. When deciding to get married during the Marriage Marathon, Hugo says the Elvis Presley "Burning Love" theme helped to seal the deal — now the couple will have a truly unique wedding story to share. "It's on Valentine's, so it's a special day, but especially with Elvis," Hugo says. "That's pretty cool; it's different."

Elizabeth (22) and Emanuel (21)

Elizabeth and Emanuel had the quickest betrothal of the day, having started their whirlwind romance five months ago. Though they haven't been together long, the Denver couple is confident that marriage was the next step for them and that the Marriage Marathon was the perfect way to do it. "We just both decided this is what we really wanted," Emanuel says.

Check out some more moments from the Burning Love Valentine's Day Marriage Marathon below: