Mexico City - A total of 1,609 couples got married in a mass Valentine's Day wedding this weekend in the Zocalo, Mexico City's largest plaza, as relatives and friends looked on.

The civil ceremony was accompanied by performances by different bands in the Mexican capital's historic downtown district.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera presided over the ceremony and congratulated the newlyweds, urging them to respect each other in their married lives.

Mexico City's government waived the wedding fees as a Valentine's Day gift, the mayor told the couples. "May each and every one of the couples here enjoy eternal love," Mancera said.

A total of 1,255 police officers were deployed in the historic district to maintain order and provide security during the ceremony, the Federal District Public Safety Secretariat said.

Some 19,927 police officers were assigned to patrol areas across Mexico City on Saturday as part of "Operation Romeo and Juliet," with public places, plazas and commercial areas getting priority, the secretariat said.