On Valentine's Day, Folks Headed To The Chapel

Every year, Justice of the Peace Marie Tyler Wylie holds . Typically, Wiley says, she marries 20 to 22 couples that day.

This year, though, Wiley did not have a chance to promote the event like she usually does, and by noon Tuesday, she had only married one couple.

Then came the lunch rush.

First to arrive were Kelly-Ann Franklin and Sarina Wensil, from Groton, who were celebrating the one-year anniversary of their engagement by exchanging vows. Franklin said that while it was she who had proposed a year ago, it was Sarina who planned the surprise Feb. 14, 2012 wedding.

"She surprised me this morning," Franklin said. So they stopped at Stonington Town Hall on their way to Olde Mistick Village, spent 15 minutes in the Town Clerk's office filling out the forms, and then headed to the chapel, Wensil in a blue satin gown and shawl, and Franklin in a pink dress shirt.

"I jus decided last night," Wensil said, "and I pulled everything together. I figured we might as well do it now."

Next in the door were Adam Breslin and Sondra Corna of Westerly, with their 3-year-old daughter Olivia. Adam's mother Susan Breslin was also there, but not just to watch her son get married - Susan and her partner of 18 years, Diadre Perlmutter, were also making it legal.

"It was kind of spur-of-the-moment," Perlmutter says. "We've been together 18 years and we finally decided to make it official." The couple have been wearing wedding rings since having a commitment ceremony about a decade ago, and they exchanged them during the ceremony Tuesday.