Photo by Eric Spiegel

Sorry, love birds: D.C. courts won’t be performing weddings while the federal government is in shutdown mode. But people who want to get hitched can still file or pick-up a previously-applied for marriage application, so there’s that.

Yesterday, District of Columbia Courts released its government shutdown plan and reported that “The Superior Court’s Family Court Marriage Bureau will not be accepting marriage license applications, nor performing weddings. Those needing to pick up a previously-applied for marriage license may do so.”

But today, they tweeted a minor reversal.

During the shutdown, Family Court staff here to handle essential functions WILL be accepting marriage license applications

— DC Courts PIO (@DCCourtsInfo) October 1, 2013

Despite the fact that Mayor Vince Gray has declared all city employees “essential” during a shutdown, as the Post points out “the judicial branch of the government operates separately.”

Last month, the D.C. Superior Court announced it would expand its Marriage Bureau to accommodate an increase in marriage license applications following the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA. That means there’s going to be an even higher number of unhappy brides and grooms during this shutdown.