Snow makes day blue for would-be marrieds

Julian Levy takes a photo with his cell phone of his fiancee, Worawan Lehman, holding the couple's daughter, Nilawan Levy, during a naturalization ceremony last month. The couple planned to marry yesterday, but the courthouse was closed because of the snow.

One expects to see white at a wedding, but it was a different kind of white that was a heartbreaker for Julian Levy and his fiancee, Worawan Lehman.

The Maumee couple's plans for a romantic Valentine's Day wedding were buried by drifts after eight inches of snow shut down all Lucas County offices.

Historically, Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year at the marriage license bureau in the county courthouse, which was among yesterday's office closings.

Ms. Lehman, 27, had her heart set on saying "I do" on Valentine's Day. "That was the plan, but it didn't work out. Maybe this was a sign that we shouldn't get married,'' she joked.

Couples travel from afar, especially Michigan, to Lucas County to get a license because there is no waiting period.

With two ordained ministers in the courthouse, Mr. Levy and Ms. Lehman could have gotten their license and been married within an hour.

Last year, the bureau took applications from 68 couples on Valentine's Day, far below the record 179 on Feb. 14, 1997.

The Rev. Sandra Frost, a courthouse minister for 19 years, said she was looking forward to the throngs of love-struck couples. "I was disappointed when I got the call that the courthouse was closed,'' Mrs. Frost said.

She and her husband were married 36 years ago on Feb. 13 because Valentine's was on a Sunday that year and the minister wouldn't marry them on that day.

Mr. Levy, 28, said the snow storm dashed his dream of combining two special events into a single celebration.

"The blizzard came and took the day from us,'' he said.

The couple, who were engaged two years ago, have a 9-month-old son, Julian Jetrin Levy, and a daughter, Nilawan Levy, 3.

However, Ms. Lehman said she was entertaining the idea of getting a marriage license today to put the final touch on a courtship that began eight years ago when they were college students.

Theodore Warzecha and Edna Wood also settled on a Valentine wedding and planned appropriately.

With a license they obtained at the courthouse last week, the couple was married last night in their West Toledo home.

"We just decided we wanted something special,'' said Mr. Warzecha, 50, who suggested a Valentine wedding.

"I waited a long time for this day,'' added the new Mrs. Warzecha.

Contact Mark Reiter at:

markreiter@theblade.com

or 419-213-2134.