Love was in the air Friday inside Judge Martin Hoffman’s courtroom.

The longtime state district judge married dozens of couples on Valentine’s Day amid red and pink balloons, red roses and chocolate and vanilla cake in the same room where he usually holds civil trials and hearings.

One little girl blew bubbles when her parents tied the knot at the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building in downtown Dallas. Mothers cried, and so did many of the brides and grooms. The courtroom staff served as wedding photographers, taking pictures with each couple’s cellphones during the ceremonies and later against the backdrop of balloons.

“I like being part of people’s lives,” said Hoffman, who performed the weddings free of charge. “It’s my way to give back.”

By the end of the day, Hoffman had officiated 60 ceremonies. The judge advertised the day of weddings on Instagram, in Facebook groups and in the courthouse. Some couples made their way to his courtroom when they got their marriage licenses at another county building.

Some arrived at the courthouse decked out in gowns and suits. Others dressed more casually.

Bin Mazola kissed Titilope Oluyemi after they were married by Judge Martin Hoffman on Feb. 14, 2020, at the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building in Dallas. (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

Manuela Navarrate opted for a traditional white dress for her wedding, while her husband-to-be wore a gray suit. They were looking for a day to get married and learned Hoffman would marry them on Valentine’s Day.

“It’s a very special day,” she said. “We’re looking forward to this day.”

Friends and family joined Navarrate and her husband, Jario Estrada, to celebrate. They applauded when Hoffman proclaimed, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Chris Dittmer and Megan McNeese got married in T-shirts that read “I love him” and “I love her” — with matching beanies. Hers were white. His were gray.

“We were going to do it at the end of the month, but we haven’t heard back to whether or not the judge could do it,” McNeese said. “So we thought, why not today?”

The couple met through a Facebook group a year ago and had planned on having a courthouse wedding anyway.

“We didn’t plan on actually having the ceremony today. But we’re off [work], and it was available,” Dittmer said. “We wanted to keep it easy as much as possible.”

At the end of their ceremony, the couple were surprised with money toward a honeymoon by North Texas Honda Dealers. Hoffman said the company randomly chose one couple to make the day extra special. McNeese and Dittmer haven’t decided where they will go.

For many couples, the decision to marry on Valentine’s Day was spontaneous.

Anna Zapata and Walter Rivera kissed as they were married by Judge Martin Hoffman on Valentine's Day. (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

Chandra and Brandon Busby had initially only planned to get their marriage license. But they decided to “go for it” after learning about the free ceremonies.

The couple said they started dating five years ago on Feb. 14 after meeting through mutual friends.

“Five years, it goes fast,” Brandon Busby said. “We’ve pretty much been through just about everything but this.”

The ceremonies lasted three to five minutes, packing a lot of emotion into a short amount of time.

Darryl Davis and Mirna Marioma shared a long embrace after theirs. The couple had wanted to get married for the past year and a half.

“I feel happy,” Marioma said with a smile before their ceremony. It was also her birthday.

“It breaks my pocket every time on the 14th,” Davis said with a laugh.

Hoffman, a judge for 14 years, said he’s never charged couples for weddings. But this was his first time to pack in so many in one day.

He typically officiates two or three weddings a week when he can fit them in, but has never dedicated an entire day to it. He said he’s wanted to for years — in his experience, Valentine’s Day courtroom weddings “tend to be cheesier and more romantic.”

Hoffman said Valentine’s Day landing on a Friday was the perfect opportunity.

“I know going to the judge is like going to the dentist — the only people happy to see you are attorneys,” Hoffman said. “This is my way of bringing joy to the world.”