BY BRANDY TEMPLETON

Love was in the air at the Iredell County Register of Deeds Office on Friday.

Register of Deeds Renee Holland and her staff created a beautiful venue for six lucky couples to exchange their wedding vows.

Festive wedding atmosphere included balloons, backdrops, coverings, signs, romantic music, and floral arrangements. There were also cupcakes, punch, and a small wedding cake for the newly wedded to enjoy.

“It was truly a team effort,” Holland shared.

She’s grateful to Angie Bass for donating the cupcakes, to Teresa Eller for the beautiful cakes, and to Events Unlimited for helping with the nice decorations. Holland is also very appreciative of the North Iredell Middle School Agriculture teacher Amelia Fox and her FFA students for the beautiful floral arrangements and bridal bouquets.

She explained why it was so important to make the ceremonies as nice as possible.

“We see people come in every single day applying for marriage licenses. We didn’t know how many use the magistrate,” Holland said “Sometimes people see the expenses and decide to go that route. I get it.”

But when she thought about people taking their vows in the same building that houses inmates, she just wanted to give a different experience.

“We had couples submit their information and drew six lucky names out of a hat,” Holland shared.

First on the list, at 9 a.m., were Debra Jenkins and James Cline.

The couple, who have been dating for 29 years, met in Hickory.

Jenkins, originally from Lincolnton, and Cline, a Statesville native, decided it was time to take the next step after personal tragedy. Jenkins lost her son Josh on June 27. She is still grieving, but the tragedy has brought her closer to Cline.

“We’ve been thinking about it for a while and just decided to make it official,” she said. “He got down on one knee and proposed before Christmas.”

For the ceremony, they invited a small group that included her other son, Ricky, and other family members and friends.

Magistrate Reba Imes performed the service. Although she officiates weddings on a regular basis, she came in on her day off to help make February 14 extra special for the six couples who tied the knot on Friday.

“I love Valentine’s Day— today is a day of love,” she said. “It’s time for Iredell County to start doing new things.”

The Clines were thankful for everyone who helped make their day special. 

“Everything was so nice,” she said.

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