Usually when people enter District Judge Matt Rudzki’s courtroom, it’s for a ruling from him.

But there are some people who come in where the decision already has been made.

And it is a lifelong one — until death do they part.

Rudzki, whose district encompasses Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana, O’Hara and Sharpsburg, has been officiating weddings for two and half years.

His officiated his first and second weddings on Feb. 22, 2022, and he reached the 100th milestone of “I do’s” earlier this month when he officiated the wedding of Brooke DesLauriers and Jake Hartman of Shaler.

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Courtesy of Matt Rudzki
Judge Matt Rudzki poses for a photo in his Sharpsburg courtroom with Brooke DesLauriers and Jake Hartman, his 100th couple as officiant. Rudzki — whose district encompasses Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana, O’Hara and Sharpsburg — has been officiating weddings for two and half years.

It was by chance that DesLauriers and Hartman were the 100th wedding for Rudzki. The couple, who met through a mutual friend, had scheduled it with Shaler where Rudzki was filling in for Judge Daniel Konieczka, who serves the citizens of Shaler, Reserve, Millvale and Etna.

The couple is planning a reception next year at Eisler Farms in Butler County.

“(Rudzki) was great,” DesLauriers Hartman said. “He wasn’t just going through the motions. He was so positive, and you can tell he believes in marriage and has learned from his own marriage.”

Rudzki was comforting, Hartman said.

“He has this brotherly vibe to him,” Hartman said.

Rudzki, a former mayor and councilman in Sharpsburg where he grew up, said he is honored when couples ask him to perform their wedding ceremony.

Judges, mayors and clergy can legally perform marriages in Pennsylvania. The court fee for officiating wedding is $54.

He has met some of the couples through his work.

One of those is Christal Allen Woody, who works for Corey O’Connor, Allegheny County’s controller. She has known him since he was mayor. Her wedding ceremony to Sean Woody took place Oct. 15.

It was Rudzki’s 101st.

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JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | TribLive
101st!: Christal Allen and Sean Woody share a moment as Judge Matt Rudzki looks on during the couple’s courthouse wedding Oct. 1 in Sharpsburg.

Allen and Woody met as fourth graders at Miller Elementary School in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. They reconnected in 2014.

“She was worth waiting for,” said Woody of the Hill District.

Christal Allen of Sharpsburg wore a white lace gown and held a bouquet of flowers for the occasion. An embellished hair accessory and silver necklace added some sparkle. She smiled the entire time. The couple was surrounded by family and friends.

“Christal is smart and funny,” Rudzki said. “Knowing the people I marry makes this all the more special. I can see the love they have for each other.”

Another work connection was Rachel Belloma, who met Rudzki when she was working for Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, who was then a state representative.

“Matt is delightful,” said Belloma, who married Jason LaCroix on Aug. 9, 2022.

“He has empathy and believes in community-based leadership,” she said. “Sharpsburg is lucky to have him. He is a good person.”

Rudzki has strong roots in Sharpsburg.

His father, Leo Rudzki Jr., served as police chief for 12 years and was on the force for more than four decades.

Matt Rudzki says his dad inspires him every day.

When he officiates, Rudzki reads from a prepared script and adds a few comments to personalize the experience if he knows the couple.

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Courtesy of Mikayla Naidoo and Brett Ford
103rd!: District Judge Matt Rudzki (left) poses for a photo with Pittsburghers Mikayla Naidoo and Brett Ford on their wedding day Oct. 24.

Here are some of the words he says during a wedding:

“Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family and of two people who are in it forever.”

“And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try and explain it. That’s just the way it is with love — it’s meant to be felt, not described.”

“You fell in love by chance, but you’re here today because you’re making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You’ve chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile and makes every day brighter.”

Belloma said she and LaCroix wanted a courthouse wedding. Choosing Rudzki was the best decision, she said, because he made it special, personal and thoughtful.

“That might not be romantic for everyone,” said Belloma of Penn Hills. “But we wanted practical and no frills. Marriage, to me, is about the commitment process. It should be simple. It was the perfect setting for this decision Jason and I made to each other.”

Was Rudzki married in a courtroom? No, he married wife Bridget in September 2015 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Sharpsburg. They have three children.

“Weddings bring joy to people — and if we can share in that joy, that is wonderful,” Rudzki said. “It’s a (social media) timeline cleanser. So many times you see the bad in the world, but weddings are about love and the good in the world. Weddings are the best part of my job. It is the only time everyone leaves happy.”