On Feb. 14, hundreds of couples got married for free in different parts of the country thanks to collective weddings organized by local governments. 

Offering couples a free-of-charge process to marry, the annual event seeks to support hundreds of citizens to regularize their civil status, including same-sex couples. 

In the municipality of Nezahualcóyotl, México state, and in the state of Tabasco, mass unions of LGBT+ couples were held for the very first time. 

“We’re happy because same-sex marriage was approved just three months ago here in the State of México, so we decided to marry this year,” Sarai Vargas told France24 media.

According to a Nezahualcóyotl municipal official, close to 1,000 couples took part in the event, of which 35 were same-sex couples. Authorities also provided hairdressing and makeup services for the couples. 

México state, one of the most populous federal entities in the country, approved same-sex marriage in October.

Shortly afterward, Tamaulipas became the final state in the nation to change their state constitutions to legalize same-sex marriage.  

Government-sponsored collective wedding ceremonies are an annual Valentine’s Day tradition throughout Mexico, an event typically presided over by a state governor or local mayor as a feel-good photo opportunity.

Mexico City’s Civil Registry did not announce mass weddings this year, but some borough governments within the city held free weddings for adult couples over 18 that had presented the required documents such as birth certificate, official identification, and prenuptial medical certificate.

In Oaxaca, Governor Salomón Jara Cruz served as the honorary witness to more than 400 marriage ceremonies that took place in the city.

The local government also surprised nine of the lucky couples with honeymoon trips to Oaxaca’s beach resort municipality of Huatulco. 

With reports from France24, El Financiero and Expansión.