HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Those who have met Magistrate Magaline Fergeson know that her positive energy immediately lights up a room. In addition to her traditional duties on the Fiscal Court, she channels that positivity by marrying couples in the Christian County Chapel of Love.
“Baby, that joy is unspeakable once you find love,” Fergeson told Christian County Now as she explained her passion for facilitating love in the community.
After performing 180 weddings in 2023, she still loves meeting new people from all walks of life and witnessing their happiest moments. When asked about her favorite part of the process, she silently walked over to her podium and began ringing a small crystal bell while a big grin spread across her face.
“I get so excited about this bell!” Fergeson said while furiously ringing. “I love this part, because now we are sounding off for the whole community to know!” She incorporates the bell into all of her ceremonies to present couples and makes sure everyone attending can hear it to properly honor them.
Her own personal touch
The Chapel of Love is tucked across the street from the courthouse in Hopkinsville. Previous Judge Executive Steve Tribble established the chapel during his 28 years on the Fiscal Court. It was meant to be a permanent location for courthouse wedding ceremonies. After he left office, Fergeson inherited the duties with her own unique touch.
“I want them to be proud when they come,” Fergeson said while showing off her many personal details inside the small chapel. Flower wreaths, art, and decorative lights outside make the space welcoming for couples. While all of the magistrates in Christian County are qualified to perform weddings, as the only woman on the Fiscal Court, the responsibility seemed to land in her lap.
In the early days, weddings were only performed on Fridays and couples would have to line up down the street, according to Fergeson. Since she took over, she opened up her schedule to allow for weddings every day of the week, morning or night. Along with her obligations on the Fiscal Court, her planner is packed full of wedding ceremonies, sometimes multiple in one day.
Fergeson aims to create a positive experience for all couples and their families. She has coloring pages and crayons ready for kids that attend ceremonies, and since a lot of couples are military, she provides them with a bag full of information about next steps and things to do in the area. On top of it all, The Mixer supports her by providing free dessert to couples who say they were just married at the Chapel of Love.
Couples are always appreciative and often keep in touch after the fact. Fergeson said she loves it and will continue spreading her own brand of joy through The Chapel of Love as long as she can, “There are so many issues going on in the world, we need some kind of happiness.”
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