Valentine’s Day once again proved to be one of the most popular dates for couples ready to say “I do,” as dozens celebrated their love during the Hillsborough Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office’s annual Tie the Knot Ceremony. The special event took place on February 14 at Joe Chillura Courthouse Square in downtown Tampa.
Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller Victor D. Crist officiated the group wedding ceremony, uniting approximately 40 couples during the Valentine’s Day celebration. Participation was limited to couples who preregistered and obtained marriage licenses through the Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller prior to the event.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, each couple received a special commemorative marriage certificate to mark the occasion. Official certificates of marriage were mailed within one week following the ceremony. In recognition of Valentine’s Day, the clerk waived the standard $30 ceremony fee, although regular marriage license fees still applied. The ceremony was conducted in English, with accommodations that included an American Sign Language interpreter as well as Spanish-language services to ensure accessibility for all participants.
Crist brought decades of public service experience to the event. His career included 10 years as a Florida state senator, eight years as a state representative and eight years as a Hillsborough County commissioner. During his legislative tenure, Crist played a key role in justice reform and fiscal oversight, including helping to craft Florida’s $4 billion statewide justice budget and leading the transition to a unified, state-funded court system under Article V of the Florida Constitution.
As one of Hillsborough County’s seven elected constitutional officers, the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office fulfilled more than 1,000 constitutional and statutory responsibilities and employed more than 700 staff members, making it the second-largest constitutional office in the county. The clerk’s duties encompassed both court-related services and financial oversight for county government.
For the couples who tied the knot, the Valentine’s Day ceremony offered a meaningful blend of romance, tradition and public service — a memorable beginning to married life in the heart of Tampa.