Newlyweds Jerrick Cruz and Marlena Litulumar pose with Edith Cruz, the groom’s mother, and Lucy Selepeo, a witness for the bride, with Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang after officiating one of nine Valentine’s Day wedding ceremonies at his office. Photo by Junhan B. Todiño
Jerrick Cruz, 37, and Marlena Litulumar, 36, said they wanted to get married on Feb. 14 because “this is a very special day.”
Cruz said they wanted a simple wedding ceremony attended by family members.
From the mayor’s office, Cruz said they would proceed to the house of their grandparents for their blessings.
“It’s a tradition that we have to seek blessing from our elderly,” he added.
The mayor’s wedding coordinator, Bobbi Yamada, said the mayor officiated eight weddings in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Of the nine local couples, two are Filipinos and the rest are indigenous, she added.
On Valentine’s Day last year, many couples from China got married at the mayor’s office, she said.
Arrivals from China, however, have plummeted since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
