Couples attend a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Jonathan Garay, left, and Fiorella Riveros take a selfie during a group wedding ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Jonathan Garay, left, kisses Fiorella Riveros during a group wedding ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Couples arrive to a stadium to exchange vows during in a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Couples attend a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Couples attend a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
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Jonathan Garay, left, and Fiorella Riveros take a selfie during a group wedding ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
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Jonathan Garay, left, kisses Fiorella Riveros during a group wedding ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
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Couples arrive to a stadium to exchange vows during in a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
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Couples attend a group ceremony organized by the Civil Registry to legally formalize their unions in in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ā More than 600 couples married simultaneously Saturday in AsunciĆ³n, Paraguay. Thousands said āI doā in unison as part of a government initiative to make civil weddings more accessible across the country.
The campaign, called āUnited by Love and Protected by Law,ā aims to legalize relationships in which couples forgo marriage because of economic or bureaucratic reasons, preventing them from receiving benefits such as social security, pensions and inheritance rights.
The Civil Registry and the first ladyās office prioritized weddings for long-term couples considered vulnerable. Nearly half of the newlyweds brought their children to the ceremony.
āIt was about time to get married,ā said Jonathan Garay, who has lived with his partner, Fiorella Rivera, for six years. The couple now looks forward to a family party and their honeymoon.
āWe had the opportunity and we took advantage of it,ā Rivera told The Associated Press, adding that it was important āto formalize everything.ā
Last week, 120 couples also tied the knot in a mass ceremony in Ciudad del Este. Earlier this year, another event was held in BoquerĆ³n, where for the first time Indigenous couples were married free of charge.
āThe number of people registered in this campaign shows that Paraguay does believe in love, does believe in family and does believe in the formalization of marriage,ā said Roque Strubing, the communications director of the Civil Registry.
Vice President Pedro Alliana celebrated the unions on X, saying āall Paraguayans have access to the right to formalize their union.ā
The ceremony filled the National ¹ś²śÓÕ»óø£Ąū Secretariat gymnasium with couples dressed in every color, while families watched from the stands. Religious leaders, one Catholic and one Protestant, blessed most of the couples.
The newlyweds left with marriage certificates and small gifts.
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Associated Press journalists Jorge Saenz and Emilio Sanabria in Buenos Aires and Gabriela SĆ” Pessoa in Sao Paulo contributed.
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